Norbert and Gloria Young Reveal Secret to 19 Years of Marriage

Romantic relationships are one of the most talked about, most researched, and most sought after things in a person's life. People want love and affection and what is the ultimate sign of a person's undying love for another? Marriage.

But these days, a lot of marriages are crumbling. Seeing a marriage that survives the test of time is a rarity these days especially amongst celebrities. Two people who have been able to keep their romance alive for over 19 years are Nollywood actors Norbert and Gloria Young.

In an interview with The Punch, both Norbert and Gloria talked about their marriage and also advised young people aspiring to marriage on what they'll need to keep a marriage intact. Here's what both Norbert and Gloria said.

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Norbert Young

Speaking on his 19-year marriage with his wife and how he has made it work over the years, actor Norbert Young said:

One falls in love and gets married. If one finds nearly everything one wants in a woman, one would get married regardless of where the woman is from or where she works. One falls in love with the person before thinking about what they do. I did not deliberately say I wanted to marry an actress. I fell in love, felt satisfied with what I saw and the next logical thing to do was to get married. If one deliberately sets out to marry an actress, it means one would have a particular interest. And when that interest wanes, what happens? So, love holds us together. There is no special thing that we do to be together. We just live our lives from day to day. We still keep being friends, keep communicating, win and face our problems together. The most important thing is that we still keep being friends. There is no special thing we do to keep our marriage. We lead normal lives and do not pretend about it. We do not live above or below our means. I don’t think love has any qualifications. Beauty is everywhere. I know that my wife is a quality human being and is very resourceful. She is beautiful and very helpful. She is my friend.

Gloria Young

Speaking on why celebrity marriages often crumble, why hers has survived the test of time, and her advice to young people aspiring for marriage, Gloria said:

Every marriage would have issues because it is made up of two people from different backgrounds. It is because celebrities are in the public eye that it seems like a big deal. If one marries one’s friend and one decides that one would make the marriage work, one would not leave any door open. I have noticed that when many celebrities get married, there is one door open somewhere. They have the mindset that they can always dump their partners and walk away; whereas they can always settle their issues. We (me and my husband) are not ‘public’ people per se. When we get home and close the door, we are normal people. We are committed to each other. If one is not committed, one cannot have a successful marriage. It is necessary for partners to look for ways to enjoy marriage. If I have any issues, I don’t bring it to the public space because we (me and my husband) have a way of settling them. He is fun to be with and he makes me laugh. He calms me down whenever I am angry. He is a stabilising factor in my life. His calmness endeared me to him. He is a good father and a wonderful husband.

(Young people aspiring for marriage) should be prayerful and embrace friendship. Make your partner your friend. Aside from God being a priority in their marriages, they should work on it. They should also understand their partners. If their partners understand them too, they would become friends. If they are true friends, anyone that wants to come between them would not succeed, even though they could try. There will always be challenges but if they can work on them, they would be able to surmount those hurdles. Besides, marriage involves companionship.

Both solid pieces of advice!

What do you think about what both Norbert and Gloria Young said about the keys to a successful marriage? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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