Life Long Love: Meet the Mayeskis

Hey Friends, this is what Life Long Love (#3L) looks like! We are so grateful for the truth and insights that Phil and Esther Mayeski have shared with us below. We love the way they connect with their faith in God in their relationship. This is a couple that loves to spend time together! Enjoy the interview below.

How many years have you been married and how old were you when you got married?

This May we will have been married for 48 years. Hard to believe. Phil was 23 and Esther almost 19.

Where & how did the two of you meet?

Phil’s sister invited him to a church Christmas party that Esther was at. She introduced us and was a first class matchmaker.

What first attracted you to one another?

I thought Phil was cute then and I still think he’s cute. Phil was looking for a good church girl to get serious about.

We all have ideas about how marriage is supposed to be when we say our wedding vows. What was one of the first challenges you encountered that challenged your ideas of what marriage was supposed to be?

We had extremely different ideas of how to handle a disagreement. It took years to realize we could agree to disagree and it didn’t threaten our relationship.

What has helped you stay together? What's your secret?

We followed some great advice early on. A wise gentleman told us that we got married because we wanted to be together. So now do everything possible together and you will grow more alike and enjoy the same things and stay close. It worked!

Do you pray together? Or have other faith activities?

Yes, we do pray together, go to church and usually read a book together. We like to share insights we each get from our daily devotions.

Do you date? How do you play together? How has that changed during your years together?

We like to go to a good movie on Fridays usually after eating out. Three years ago we invested in ebikes and love riding together and finding new rail trails. When we were younger we had horses and the city boy learned to ride. The farm gal got her motorcycle license to ride with her motorcycle man.

What do you call your in-laws?

They are deceased.

How do you KNOW your spouse loves you? How do you let your spouse know you love them?

He is always there when I say I need something. The needs of the other have a very high priority. Understanding their love language and learning to speak it is a must.

Share a nugget of wisdom you wish you could give to your younger selves.

Esther: Listen more and talk less.

Phil: Just because your wife shares a problem doesn’t mean you have to be in charge of solving the problem. Often listening and understanding are what is needed.

What do you do on a regular basis for your marriage?

We always eat together and pray together and discuss what’s happening in our lives. We spend time enjoying activities together.

We’ll be featuring another Life Long Love (#3L) couple next month. In the meantime, check out our shop for a rich assortment of dating ideas.