“THE day I married him was the day my life started,” said Bluff’s Sina Cavanagh as she and her husband reminisced about their diamond anniversary.
The couple, who married in 1955, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, 31 December. Tom (81) and Sina ‘Maria’ (82) Cavanagh were married on the Bluff and have lived there ever since.
Together with born and bred Bluffite Tom, Sina moved into a small flat in Hunt Road when they married. Four years later, they bought a plot of land and built their own home, in which they still live.
The couple met when Sina was invited to a 16th birthday party. She and a friend arrived at the house and she was apprehensive about entering because of the loud music and raucous teens, but decided to give it a go.
“At the party I was dancing with a young man and didn’t like his aggressive dance moves so I shoved him and walked away. I was quite cheeky in my youth,” said Sina.
When she returned to the dance floor, she was approached by Tom who said “Oh, now I can dance with you”. They danced for a while and chatted but she was not as impressed with the young man as he was with her, especially after he spilt a drink on her beautiful taffeta dress.
As she was leaving the party, Tom caught up with her and said “Oh, now I can kiss you goodbye.” She, however, was having none of it and he went the same way as the first boy who danced with her, as she shoved him away.
Tom was determined to get to know the feisty Sina and asked mutual friends for her address. He showed up at her home and the two grew close enough that she eventually ended things with a boy she was writing to in Pretoria. They have been together ever since.
Sina, the youngest of nine siblings, was only eight-months-old when her mother died and said her life was never easy until she met Tom.
“The day I got married was the day my life started. I could finally think for myself. I had had a hard life and he came from a loving family who accepted me and cared for me. I was fortunate to have met him.”
Tom retired from the auctioneering business at the age of 56 and Sina retired from the brewery business at 60. The couple has two daughters and five grandchildren.
They celebrated their latest anniversary with a quiet lunch together.
Long-time members of Wentworth Bowling Club, they were given lifetime membership and remain active at the club, running the men’s bowling competition every Friday morning.
According to Sina and Tom, the success of their marriage lies in honesty.
“We are truthful and we trust each other. We never hide things,” Sina said, as Tom smiled and nodded in agreement.
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