Fairway couple celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing their tips for everlasting love with the younger generation
Jenny and Trevor Mahony have clocked up 57 years of marriage and say marriage today doesn’t have the same commitment as it used to
They met and fell in love in a time when traditional gender roles were rigidly observed.
Back then ‘dating’ was known as ‘courting’, parental approval was a must, and letter writing was a sure-fire way to win a lady’s heart.
It might sound like hard work to some.
But five decades later, Reside Communities’ Golden Wedding Couples are still going strong, with a lifetime of relationship experience that the younger generations can only dream of clocking up.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, our residents have put together a list of ‘dos and don’ts’ to help teach millennials and Gen Z ers a thing or two about first-date etiquette and the secrets to everlasting love.
Part of the “silent generation” – born between 1928 and 1945 – this demographic is best known for its traditional values.
Trevor and Jenny Mahony are no exception.
The couple, who live at Fairway Carindale, met on the school bus and have been married 57 years, with four children and seven grandchildren to show for it.
Four months into their relationship Trevor was sent to Cunnamulla with National Australia Bank and Jenny stayed in Warwick where she worked at a pharmacy – 700kms away.
In an age before mobile phones and the internet, the couple relied on letter writing to keep their romance alive. Two years later they were engaged and 14 months after that they were married.
Jenny said today’s couples need to work harder on their relationships.
“Marriage today doesn’t appear to have the same commitment,” she said.
“The most important thing for us has been love, trust and communication. We have also made many sacrifices over the years, and feel a successful marriage requires a lot of give and take.
“Our generation was prepared to accept that you walked before you ran.”
Trevor believes men don’t have the same respect for women that they had when he was younger.
“They don’t make an effort to dress nicely either,” he said.
“Sloppy clothes that aren’t ironed are not the way to impress a lady. In my day, you couldn’t even step outside the office without putting on your suit coat. There is no discipline anymore.”
Top tips from Reside’s ‘golden oldies’
- Dress sensibly and smartly
- Be ladylike
- Always enjoy a drink together
- Be a gentleman
- Don’t run before you can walk
- Work on your relationship
- Trust each other
- Don’t hold a grudge
- Don’t argue
- Never say, “I told you so!”
- Go dancing together
- Don’t take yourself seriously
- Don’t try to be a smarty pants
- Put your phone down and have a conversation
- Sometimes you have to “suck it up” and move on