We Asked 10 Baby Boomers On The Street The Secret To Lasting Love And Their Answers Were Brutally Honest
Connect Images - Curated | ShutterstockIf you run a Google search on love advice, I'm willing to bet that you'll get back thousands of results. Sure, there's some valuable information out there about the dos and don'ts of making a relationship work, as told by relationship experts.
But what I was after was candid answers. When I set out to ask Baby Baoomers for their best piece of love advice was some real talk from the women who have actually been there, done that and lived through the ups and downs of making a relationship work in the long-term. They didn't disappoint.
We asked 10 Baby Boomers on the street the secret to lasting love, and their answers were brutally honest:
1. 'You can't give love to others if you don't have love for yourself'
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"I've been married for over 40 years. The most important thing I've learned is that you can't give something to another person that you don't have for yourself. When you are honest with the love you have for yourself, only then can you offer to share and sacrifice that love with another." — Marion, 66
2. 'See the best in one another'
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"Love for one another and trust in each other are the most important things to have in a relationship. My husband and I were married for a long time, and we got along very well. He was very good to everybody. He was a very warm person who loved everyone; everybody was his friend. Sometimes I didn't see what he saw in others, but he got along with everyone. He made a lot of people laugh, and he kept people happy. Especially me." — Shirley, 68
3. 'Handsome + sense of humor = winning combination'
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"Choose a handsome man who has a sense of humor, so that you can laugh together all the time." — Nancy, 74
4. 'Allow yourselves to miss each other'
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"We've been married for over 30 years. He lives at home with his two sisters, so we get to miss each other. In fact, when I go home, I'm going to call him." — Gayle, 62
5. 'Pay attention to how you're treated'
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"Pay attention to how you're being treated. If the person you're with is critical of you, that might just be the way that they are. It's not that they're doing it specifically to you; it's that they're like that with everyone. It's made me not judge people as much, to ease up on them, and not allow myself to be hurt by their words as much. But if you're not okay with it, you shouldn't be with that person."— Angela. 70
6. 'Love shouldn't be hard'
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"When I'm with someone that I really like and care about, I feel safe. It's easy. Really easy. It shouldn't be hard." — Diva, 75
7. 'Get married for the right reasons'
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"I've been divorced for quite a few years. I married a guy for the wrong reasons, and he married me for the wrong reasons, but he was a very good ex-husband and took care of my daughters. Choose your partner for the right reasons. Make sure you feel comfortable with them, and that you're compatible intellectually and come from similar backgrounds. It makes things easier." — Mary, 62
8. 'Put yourself first'
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"You have to love yourself for you to give love to others, and that goes for everyone you love. Your friends, your family, and especially babies. Babies need lots of love." — Lisa, 72
9. 'Treat each other as equals'
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"Don't be too serious with each other; it will make it easier to get to know one another. Always treat each other as equals. When we're in love, we speak a new language with each other and take care of each other in a special way. It's so pure and precious." — Bonita, 63
10. 'Build your love on friendship'
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"St. Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians (Love is patient, love is kind...). My own input would be that your mate has to be your best friend before he is your lover. You must be able to talk about and share your feelings without fear, and be able to laugh together and cry together." — Laura, 80
Danielle Page is a writer, editor, and content strategist who has written about relationships, career, finance, and beauty topics. Her work has appeared on USA Today, The New York Times, Business Insider, Cosmopolitan, Healthline, and many others.
