A Newlands East couple, who have been married for 27 years, said their secret to a long-lasting marriage is communication, compromise and prayer.
As many people around the world will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on 14 February, an annual festival to celebrate romantic love, friendship and admiration, Dorothy, 55, and Kendall Adams, 64, have advised couples to ‘keep the fire burning’ by showing affection to their partners and communicating their feelings. Speaking on what their plans are for Valentine’s Day, the couple said they plan surprises for each other every year and this year will be no different. “We will probably go on a weekend away to one of our favourite destinations as we enjoy travelling with each other,” said Dorothy. The couple said they met over 32 years ago at a nightclub in Durban, where they then became friends. “From there we saw that we were compatible, shared the same goals and visions. We spoke about everything as friends,” said Dorothy.
Kendall and Dorothy are parents to three children and are grandparents to three adorable grandkids. “We are now ordained ministers at our church and our love for the Lord has also kept us going throughout the years. We serve God together and tackle everything with prayer. Over the years we have provided couples with marriage counselling and it brings us joy to see that we have helped restore many marriages,” said Dorothy. Kendall, who has been an educator for 40 years and has ran the Comrades Marathon for 20 years, said when they got married, they adopted each other’s families. “Our families have now become one and we enjoy family time together,” he said. Speaking about coming together, Dorothy said she and her husband are totally different people. “You know the saying about opposites attract, that’s exactly our case. I am an introvert and Kendall is a people’s person and he is very spontaneous. We love spending time with each other and live to the fullest. I feel like I have also run the Comrades Marathon for 20 years as I have supported my husband during his running journey,” she said.
