Their hearts still sing with love 69 years later

MORNINGSIDE couple Norman (93) and Daphne (90) McDonald celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary this month with a dinner out with family.

The couple met when Daphne was 6 and Norman was 9 years-old. “He was terrible, he would sit on a tree and whistle at me when I was playing and I hated it. He lived down the road from me and always said he wanted to marry me. We became friends and later courted,” explained Daphne.

In 1946, just after World War II the couple married, at St Mary's Cathedral in Pietermartizburg. Daphne remembers it like it was yesterday. There was still food rationing and one couldn't get a lot of goods at the time, Daphne recalled. “Even my wedding dress was hard to get, my mother had to search everywhere for the material and eventually got some pretty lace in Johannesburg. Everything was perfect on the day, but the only bad thing was at our reception at the Technical College Hall, a crowd came into the hall and stole most of the champagne and only left us with one or two bottles,” she laughed.

The couple moved to Durban with the birth of their three daughters, which they regard as “the biggest blessing” in their lives.

The secret to a long and happy marriage is staying true to your marriage vows the happy couple said. “All marriages have ups and downs, after living together for 69 years we can attest to it,” Daphne says, “The trick is to listen and to work things out. Forgiveness also plays an important part in a marriage.” Norman added, “Sometimes you have to grin and bear the rough patches, but I can't say there were too many, and wait for the smooth ones. We are wonderful companions and the love between us stays forever!”