LANSING, Mich. — Everyone knows a successful marriage takes work. But what are the other keys to success when it comes to a long, loving relationship? For this Valentine's Day, Mallory Anderson talked to the experts.
Married for 50 years, Mike and Carolyn Hudson pose with their wedding photo just steps away from the gym they were married in at St. Gerard's Church in Lansing.In a country where the divorce rate is nearly 50 percent, these couples married 50, 60, even 70 years, may seem like an anomaly.
Though all of them had hilarious things to say about why their marriages have lasted so long...
"Well, you go into a marriage with your eyes wide open and from then on you keep them part shut," said Iris Oubre, who has been married to her husband, Marcus, for 25 years.
"Of course you have to have patience, which I know I'm not good at, but I know it's the thing to do," said Norma DeRose, who has been married to her husband, John, for 67 years.
... Their love and commitment to one another is no joke, with most crediting their success to perseverance.
"In my opinion, marriage isn't a matter of winning or losing an argument, it's a matter of giving. Giving in, giving, and working it out," said Jenny Nicholson, who has been married to Bob Nicholson for 40 years.
"You know everybody has problems, but it's how you solve them that counts," said Mike Bowler.
"Never give up, never, never give up," chimed in Sharon Bowler. Sharon and Mike have been married for 53 years.
All of these husbands and wives were a part of 81 couples renewing their vows at St. Gerard Catholic Church in Lansing on Sunday.
As Mike and Carolyn Hudson stood outside the chapel, they reminisced about how they were married in that same church's tiny gym 50 years ago.
"One of the things we've learned to do is not go to bed angry with each other," said Carolyn Hudson. "We couldn't always keep that, but for the most part I think that was very helpful."
And while some said these couples wouldn't make it, they're the ones getting the last laugh as they celebrate milestone anniversaries.
"We were married at 18 right out of high school, and my family said, 'it's never going to last,' and Mike's family said the same thing," laughed Sharon Bowler. "Mike tells everyone he was just a paperboy and I was just a babysitter. But we made it! 53 years!"
