Lasting Love

– By Dr. Charles D. Schmitz and Dr. Elizabeth A. Schmitz


Lasting love, 'til death do us part. Married couples repeat this stanza or some variation of it in most marriage ceremonies. In its essence, two people commit to each other their love, their faithfulness, and their sacred honor for the rest of their lives. Many times, it works out just that way. Other times, the promise falls short. But in the case of Sandy and Pris, love is alive and well and will be sustained for a lifetime.

Over the past 25 years we have interviewed couples that have been successfully married for as few as 30 and as many as 60 years. We have shared 41 wonderful years together ourselves. But of all the interviews we have conducted, no love seemed greater than the love between Sandy and Pris.

We interviewed them in their home about a year and a half ago. Sandy has retired as CEO of a large American corporation. He is now investing his time and money in philanthropic causes across the USA, particularly in character education. Pris has always been interested in the arts and is a big supporter of opera theatre, in particular. Their passion for their philanthropic causes was amazing, and their commitment to their work was heartwarming. If you ever wanted to spend an evening with two of the most generous, endearing, enchanting, and wonderful people you could meet, these are the two that you would want to be with.

Before we interviewed Sandy and Pris, we thought we knew a lot about love and relationships. That evening, however, we got an education for which we will be eternally grateful.

Sandy loves Pris absolutely and completely. He loves her without conditions. He has loved her since the first time he saw her on the ski slopes near Santa Fe, New Mexico. During our interview, he looked at his bride of nearly 60 years and said, "She is still the same beautiful woman I married 60 years ago!" He had tears in his eyes. Pris choked back the tears, as she looked deep into his eyes. These were the faces of love.

Pris responded that she fell in love with this handsome, dashing man with his white skis as soon as she saw him glide effortlessly down the snow-covered mountain.

Sandy and Pris love each other from the bottom of their respective hearts and both say this today, "We have been married for more than 60 years and are more in love now than ever." Everything they said to us during the interview reinforced their unqualified love for each other.

There are many lessons to be learned from Sandy and Pris. We want to share with you what they believe to be the most important.

First, they share a mutual admiration society. They always support and encourage each other.

Secondly, they love each other very much and say so many times during each day of their lives.

Thirdly, they are totally honest with each other. They show integrity in their interactions, have undying trust in each other, and demonstrate their character by their words and by their actions.

And finally, their most important lesson of all: "Never go to bad mad at each other."

Sandy and Pris have great admiration and respect for each other. It shows in their words, their actions, their expressions, and in Sandy's case, in his voice as he sings love songs to her every morning -- off key sometimes, but always full of love and emotion.

As we concluded our interview with our usual question, "Can you imagine life without each other?" we got the answer we expected, but not a word was spoken. Their eyes welted up with tears, they gazed lovingly at each other for an extended period of time, and then they looked at us and smiled. No words were necessary. We knew their answer as well as we knew our own -- lasting love 'til death do us part.

We know you will agree -- Sandy and Pris are an inspiration to everyone. Their wonderful 61 years of marriage attest to the power of their relationship and the depth of their love. There is much to learn from these two lovebirds who have found "Lasting Love."