It’s not easy to maintain a marriage for more than eight decades, but a couple from North Carolina, USA, has discovered the best secret to a long marriage, and it’s shockingly simple.
Willie and DW Williams, who are both 100 years old and 103 years old, recently celebrated their 82nd wedding anniversary.
They not only have decades of marriage under their belts, but they also share the same birthday month, having been born barely a week apart.
The pair has faced many difficulties, including segregation laws in the 1950s and 1960s, but their love appears to be as strong as ever.
“Even though we lived during the Jim Crow era, we were permitted to work and participate in community activities.” “It didn’t have much of an influence on us since there were so many people wanting to help, and they didn’t let the color of our skin get in the way,” the couple explained.
When asked for their advise on how to sustain a happy and long-lasting marriage, the pair just had one piece of advice.
“Be kind to each other,” the couple said, adding that communicating with each other is very important. “We don’t argue or have any fights. If we have a misunderstanding, we just talk it over.”
“The secret to a long marriage is just be nice to each other.”
The couple got married when they were both very young; Willie was only 18 years old while DW was 21 years old.
However, despite all the struggles and conflicts they have gone through, the couple said that they were lucky to have each other through all the challenging times.
Willie and DW first met in Newberry, South Carolina in 1935 and the pair later tied the knot in 1937
They have a daughter, Alice Erin, and a grandson, BJ Williams-Greene, who likes the couple’s marriage philosophy.
Williams-Greene explained why her grandparents’ marriage influenced her in an interview with Good Morning America.
“My grandparents’ union is a source of inspiration for me. “Everyone loves them because they are honest,” she added. “They communicate and make decisions together, they struggle and succeed together, and they strive and achieve together.”
“They just motivate everyone to achieve their full potential.”
Williams-Greene went on to say that one of the main reasons her grandparents’ marriage has lasted so long is due to their great trust in God and their love for each other.
“They’ve had such a long and successful marriage because they prioritize God and are each other’s best friends,” she explained.