Sioux Falls, South Dakota — On this Valentine’s Day, here is the secret of a long and happy marriage, according to 94-year-old Don Barnett and his 93-year-old wife Marilyn of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Their public displays of affection made possible, they say, by their private nightly ritual of song.
It happens right before bed, when Don asks Marilyn, “Want a song?” And she responds, “Sure!”
Don then sits down beside his bride of 68 years and starts to sing.
“I just look forward to it,” Marilyn told CBS News. “And he has a beautiful voice.”
They started doing this about 50 years ago.
“And I discovered a couple of things,” Don said. “First of all, it pleased her. And secondly, it calmed us. And if we had a disagreement or something before, it was gone by the time we went to sleep.”
It’s a magic musical elixir that their son Doug says happens without fail.
“I’m not aware that they ever miss it,” Doug said.
Last month, Marilyn fell and broke her hip. And sure enough, her nightly serenade continued without skipping a beat.
“When you sing to your spouse, she realizes that you really care enough to go out of your way — rather than just say, ‘Goodnight, honey,’ Don explains.
This Valentine’s weekend, couples will be searching for just the right words to show their love. But for Don and Marilyn there’s nothing to say that can’t be sung.
