Marriage is a culturally or legally recognized union between two people in a relationship. When two people are married, it establishes obligations and rights between them, as well as between them and their children and between them and their in-laws. When the dotted lines of the marriage certificate are signed, it is an agreement to spend the rest of their lives together, but that is not usually the case in certain circumstances. While some marriages will stand the test of time, others will fall apart for several reasons.
Healthy, long-term marriages are a joy to behold. And it is usually a wonder to many how these couples can keep their marriage going for such long periods. While no two marriages are the same, the keys to healthy, long-term marriages are similar across the board. Communication, love, commitment, acceptance, kindness, and generosity are the secrets to a lasting marriage for many couples.
Kindness and generosity, although overlooked for being primary, are two of the most essential ingredients in marriage. Interestingly, these are two of the first behaviors encouraged in toddlers. Kindness builds a strong bond between couples by making them feel validated and cared for. Acts of generosity, regardless of how small or big, are the backbone of marriage. Generosity in marriage involves giving and gifting to your partner, and it does not have to be grandiose, as the only thing that matters is the thought behind it.
One such case of a long-term marriage rich in kindness and generosity is the union between Kansas couple Lee and Renee Wilson. On July 28, 2023, KAKE detailed the story of Lee, a farmer, who surprised his wife, Renne, with a befitting gift to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
People might say there is no such thing as the perfect gift, but Lee begs to differ. For his 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 10, 2023, the farmer went all the way to give his wife the perfect gift. He considered his wife’s love for sunflowers and planted the happy flower on 80 acres.
“Well we’re celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary August 10 and you know what’s a guy get his gal for the 50th? And I put a lot of thought into it and she always liked sunflowers. And I thought this is the year to plant sunflowers so I planted her 80 acres of sunflowers,” he told KAKE.
To bring his dream of giving a floral gift to his wife to reality, Lee and his son secretly planted the sunflower seeds in May with hopes of blooming growth. They planted about 1.2 million sunflower seeds, with about 15,000 sunflowers per acre. Needless to say, Renne was blown away by Lee’s floral gift.
“It made me feel very special. It couldn’t have been a more perfect anniversary gift than a field of sunflowers,” she said.
The love story between Lee and Renee dates back to when they were teenagers in high school.
“We met in high school. She couldn’t date until she was 16, and I called her on her 16th birthday and that’s when we started dating,” he said. “Our first date was a roller skating party, an FFA roller skating party in Harper Kansas.”
Although intended to be a gift to his wife, the picturesque sunflowers, located on the south side of Highway 54, four miles east of Pratt, attracted many admirers from near and far.
What do you think of Lee Wilson’s gift to his wife on their 50th wedding anniversary? What do you consider an ideal wedding anniversary gift? Let us know and — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family members.
