Feb. 14 is Valentine鈥檚 Day, a traditional day for love and romance.

The concept of love and romance, of course, has different meanings for everyone. So in order to learn more, we went to the experts.

We asked a variety of residents at Berwick Parksville, some couples together for nearly 70 years, a few key questions and they offered some tips on how to maintain lasting love.

What does love mean to you?

鈥淟ove means someone who cares about you,鈥� said Lil Rossiter, married to Jack Rossiter for 54 years.

Love means 鈥渂eing married to someone for 67 years,鈥� according to Jeanne Bunker.

鈥淪he couldn鈥檛 find a second person, so I鈥檓 still here,鈥� Ralph Bunker joked.

鈥淟ove means caring for each other, helping each other, looking after each other,鈥� said Tom Mountain, married to Diane Mountain for nearly 59 years.

鈥淪aying 鈥業鈥檓 sorry鈥�,鈥� according to Joan Stewart. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been together for 62 years and courted for five years before that.鈥�

Gordon Hudson answered, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the way in which we鈥檝e spent our life for the last 50 some odd years, so, you know, together for everything.鈥�

Linda Hudson agreed, 鈥淧retty much joined at the hip.鈥�

How do you maintain love?

鈥淏y taking care of each other, understanding each other. What they like to do,鈥� said Lil Rossiter.

Jack Rossiter says the secret to a lasting marriage is to 鈥渒eep it simple.鈥�

鈥淚 think having a sense of humour is important,鈥� said Tom Mountain. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 laughing, at times, at things and that鈥檚 the important part.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 also having concern for each other and their well-being,鈥� Diane Mountain added. 鈥淎nd making sure that things go well for your partner.鈥�

鈥淟ook after each other,鈥� said Jeanne and Ralph, nearly in unison.

鈥淵ou have to give and take,鈥� Jeanne added.

Do you have a secret to a lasting marriage?

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if we do or not, but I think we found it whatever it is because we have a long and happy marriage now,鈥� Diane said. 鈥淎nd I think concern for each other, and paying attention to each other and listening to your partner and seeing what they need and what you can do to help them.鈥�

鈥淚 agree, yes, communication and a sense of things in common,鈥� Tom said. 鈥淎nd common attitudes and common purpose and that kind of thing as well.鈥�

鈥淏y keeping your individual personality,鈥� according to Linda.

Joan said 鈥淗e (Wayne) has an old grandma who lived into her 90s and she says, 鈥榶ou never go to bed mad at each other鈥�.鈥�

鈥淚f you鈥檙e arguing, you make sure that you鈥檝e corrected before you go to bed and you always say goodnight either with a kiss or blowing a kiss,鈥� added Wayne. 鈥淚鈥檝e inherited that and carried it on from my parents.鈥�

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any divorces in our family. We鈥檙e very lucky,鈥� said Joan.

鈥� NEWS Staff

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