Young love still blooms after 50 years
"There's no one secret to a good long lasting marriage. A marriage requires respect, unselfishness, compromise and a good balance in your life," - Crawford Reid.
THEY met in their late teens, and despite doubts from their parents about such a young marriage, the charming Arlette and Crawford Reid celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently.
The couple met at a friend’s party. They said sparks flew and they clicked instantly. “We shared the same humour and enjoyed each other’s company. We courted for four months and then got engaged. Our parents who were concerned that we wanted to get married at such a young age, consented to our marriage on condition that we stayed engaged for two years, which we did,” said Arlette.
The couple eventually tied the knot at the Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban on 29 August 1964. They lived on the beachfront for four years where they had their two children, Yvette and Kevin. They then moved to and settled in Pinetown.
Crawford worked as a clerk for the railway and Arlette also worked as a clerk at Five Roses after they were married. However, Crawford started his own business in construction in 1980. He semi-retired this year, but both he and his wife have devoted their time to their bed and breakfast called Eleven on Avent.
Back in the day, Arlette enjoyed dancing, ballet and aerobics while Crawford had a keen interest in sports such as running, canoeing and cycling. These days Arlette fancies cross word puzzles and Crawford photography.
Arlette said she loved that her husband had always and still has such a good nature and is easy to please. “We always get on well and never had a stormy marriage,” she added.
Crawford smiled and said they would be vegetables if they didn’t bump heads in their marriage, but the trick was to be considerate to each other and respect each other’s personality.
“There’s no one secret to a good, long-lasting marriage. A marriage requires respect, unselfishness, compromise and a good balance in your life,” said Crawford.
He added that if you can bring harmony to your children, they will teach it to their children and that’s what bonds a family. The couple agreed that their five grandchildren and one great grandchild is their pride and joy in their lives.
The Reids celebrated their golden anniversary at a beautiful party hosted by their children at Bella Vista in Botha’s Hill. They also received a wonderful gift from their family, a four-day cruise to the Portuguese Islands, which they will be travelling on at the end of January next year.
