Seniors' tips on how to create lasting love this Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day weekend, we wanted to know what makes people fall in love and stay together.

So CBC's Labrador Morning spoke to three couples to find out.

Betty and Don Sampson have been married for 50 years. Betty says lasting love isabout taking life one day at a time, and facing together what may come.

Kathleen and Darren Thompson have been together for 35 years, thanks to a mutual love of their church and music, the two said. Stella and David Rich were first married in 1988, separated for a time, then remarried 17 years ago.

What drew you to each other?

"Perhaps it was his blue eyes," Betty said. "I don't know, opposites attract."

Don prefers to spend time outdoors, go into the country to camp, fish and build outside. Betty prefers to stay in her sunroom just outside of the house, where there's indoor plumbing.

"I was very young when I met David.Two weeks after I [turned] 18 years old, we were married," Stella said. "I grew up in an alcoholic environment, you know, alcoholic family. And when I met David, I felt safe around him and I felt like he took care of me."

How do you make a relationship last 50 years?

"Give each other [your] space," Don said, explaining he and Betty enjoy spending time together but it's important to recognize if you have different interests and honour that.

"For sure, just having fun and laughing. At each other, at yourself, at other people," Darren said. "We lost our oldest son 11 years ago. He was 18 as sad and as painful as that is, we still relied on laughter.We never leave each other without saying, 'I love you.'"

"Never go to bed angry. Doesn't mean you have to agree on things. Even when you're angry, just saying the words out loud, 'I love you,' somehow dissipates all of the feelings of anger and frustration," Kathleen said.

"You have to have forgiveness and I think one main thing that we learned is not to mudsling. Mudslinging is when you say to the other person 'You did this,' 'you were with who and whatnot.' No mudslinging," Stella said. "It's just going to bring the relationship down."

"Just talk to each other. Don't say stuff or do something when you're mad because that's only one way to make it worse," David said. "Love one another."

What do you really want young couples these days to know?

"I think my biggest thing is that you don't have to have everything now. Work together to gather those things. And bit by bit, you can gather all these things, but you don't have to have everything now," Betty said.

"Love each other. Love each other all the time, even though you got to grind your teeth. Still got to love each other," Don said.

"Don't bring up past mistakes. When you're hurt, once you've offered forgiveness," Kathleen said. "Say 'I forgive you' because it starts healing. Say 'I'm sorry,' even if you don't really believe that you're at fault because that starts the healing process."

"Love has to come from the heart," Stella said. "Patience, this is a big virtue. You have to have patience for one another."

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