WATCH: Birchleigh love birds celebrate 59 years
According to them, opposites do, in fact, attract.
Staying married today isn’t for sissies. At least, that’s what Birchleigh couple Arthur (80) and Phyllis (75) Mclachlan believe.
It takes hard work to keep the spark alive. They would know; the two celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary last week Wednesday.
They spoke to Express over cups of coffee and a slice of blue-and-white cake in Wynand Marais Community Hall in Birchleigh. There, about 50 of their friends and members of the senior citizens club gathered to celebrate the special occasion.
“I love everything about her,” Arthur says with a grin. “When we first started going out, I loved her deeply, and I still do.”
The two met in what used to be Southern Rhodesia, known today as Zimbabwe. Arthur was 19 at the time and Phyllis only 14.
“I loved bikes,” Phyllis remembers, “so I visited a friend and there was Arthur, fixing a motorbike.” Her blue eyes sparkle at the memory.
“Don’t ask me why but I loved his hands,” she says about the former mechanic.
Phyllis says she knew Arthur liked her because he chased all her boyfriends away. “To me, he was a real catch. He was, and still is, very kind.”
Two years later, the two got married. As it was two days before Arthur’s 21st birthday, and Phyllis was only 16, their fathers had to sign to make it official.
In 1980, they decided to return to their roots in South Africa. Today, they are proud of the life that they’ve created with their three children and seven grandchildren. They even have one great-grandchild on the way.
According to Phyllis, there is not much secret to how they’ve stayed married for this long.
“We’re exact opposites. He does what he enjoys and I do what I enjoy. We’re not under each other’s feet.”
One thing that the two do have in common is their love for biking. “We’ve covered this country with our bikes,” Arthur says.
“Once, we rode all the way from Zimbabwe to South Africa and back again.”
The two agree that it is more difficult to stay married these days, especially now that both partners tend to work.
“My advice for them is to always talk to each other,” Phyllis says. “Being sweet to each other, like still holding hands, is also good.”
Arthur believes that trust is the key. “You have to have a good heart towards each other.”
At the very end, Phyllis adds the importance of faith.
“We love God. None of this would be possible without Him.”
