They say with age comes wisdom, so my grandparents are definitely a step ahead of me on that. When I asked them to share their relationship advice with my writing audience, they were totally humble- explaining to me that they are definitely not qualified to give advice because their 53 years of marriage have been far from perfect. (Which in my opinion makes their advice that much more valid because of their honesty and humility). But not being perfect makes them REAL. Here's some very real advice from a nearly perfect couple who has made it almost 54 years together.
1. "Well after 53 years you kind of learn each other's habits, their likes and their dislikes, but there's always more to learn about each other everyday." -Grandma
2. "You have to be giving and you have to swallow your pride sometimes. You have to be willing to share. You just can't expect your own way all the time." -Grandma
3. "You have to be able to stick out the bad times. Because, you know, there are bad times in every relationship, but you just have to know that they WILL pass." -Grandma
4. "Some people said that we should only be married 25 years and then switch partners.. I read that in a magazine the other day. People nowadays are just so consumed with the idea of having it all. People have lost their sense of commitment to one another. Don't be like that. Commit." -Grandma
5. "Well he sure gives me a hard time sometimes: keeps me laughing. Don't take it too personal. Don't take anything too personal. He gets a good laugh out of poking fun at me, and I don't mind." -Grandma
6. "Well, to be honest, I haven't learned much after 53 years. There aren't any tricks or a rule book or "the right way" to do it. You gotta take each day at a time. Every morning is a new start, and every night can be a time to reflect on what you can do better tomorrow." -Grandpa
7. "Let's just go ahead and say you sure learn a whole lot more about each other when you decide to tell the truth. Be straight forward. And there's a way to be straightforward and honest, but gentle at the same time." -Grandpa
8. "I have always found it interesting that we are usually very good at seeing situations for what it is in the "now". We're not usually so good at seeing the bigger picture. You always have to ask yourself if the little arguments are worth it in the long run. You have to ask yourself if the issue you're facing is going to matter 15 years down the road. When people start going through rough patches their first instinct is to 'abandon ship' or just break it off. If everyone could see that the rough patch is just a small part of the big picture, there's a whole lot of couples that would have made it." -Grandma
9. "Sometimes you have to lend each other your strength for a little while. Sometimes you have to help each other out. Other times you have to give them your support and let them fight the battle for their own sake." -Grandpa
10. "You have to learn to bite the bullet sometimes. It's okay if you swallow your pride and let her be right every once and a while." -Grandpa