Murfreesboro’s 80-Year Love Story Still Meets Every Friday at McDonald’s

I loved the story I saw this morning on WTVF News Channel 5. A Tennessee couple, John Carroll (101) and Jerry Carroll (100), just celebrated 80 years of marriage. Every Friday morning, they still keep up a decades-old tradition: breakfast with friends at McDonald’s.

It’s a small ritual, but it says everything about a life built together.

Stories like this no doubt inspire us. Too much of the mainstream media runs on manufactured division and outrage. Conflict gets clicks; connection doesn’t. You’ll notice that some local reporters—Phil Williams in particular—rarely, if ever, touch a story like this. It doesn’t fit their formula, or, let’s face it, their agenda. I have given Phil Williams credit for his reporting on the policing-for-profit issue, and that does merit an award—after all, it’s a freedom and liberty issue.

Sadly, those agendas often receive awards. I don’t think Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite would have done it that way. They reported the facts, not a manufactured narrative to fit an agenda.

Felicia and I are coming up on 37 years ourselves. Stories like the Carrolls’ are a good reminder of what actually matters. In today’s world often filled with challenges from health, family and finance challenges it easy to see why 40-50% end in divorce—let’s just call it failure. Who wants to fail? Not me. Not you. No one.
Kevin O’Leary once said it bluntly: “The real cost of choosing a wrong partner? It ends in divorce and you lose half your net worth. Choose wisely and spend wisely.”
What can be done to help your odds in a successful marriage?

Although Felicia and I have been together nearly 40 years and married more than 37, I’m not claiming to be any kind of marriage expert. I grew up watching my dad, who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, go through a few marriages—five, I think. Looking back my Dad probably suffered from PTSD knowing he was lucky to have survived 24 bombing missions over Hitler’s Nazi Germany. But most importantly he suffered more from lack of forgiveness. I made up my mind early on that I didn’t want to follow that same path.
I’ll be honest—I’m probably like a lot of men. I can be selfish and catch myself thinking about my own needs more than I should. That’s something I’ve had to work on over the years, and I still do. Sometimes it’s the little things that remind me—like making the coffee the night before and getting up early just to turn it on for Felicia before going back to bed. She’s always been the early riser, and I’m proud of her for the way she starts each day in her Bible. That kind of discipline and faith has been a steady influence in our home.
What I’ve learned is that a strong marriage takes more than just feelings. Emotions come and go, but real commitment is what carries you through the tough seasons. It’s about choosing each other every day, even when it’s not easy. When your foundation is built on faith, perseverance, and respect, you’re a lot better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way.
Communication matters just as much. Most marriages don’t fall apart all at once—it’s usually a slow drift caused by things left unsaid, pride getting in the way, or just not making time for each other. Taking the time to listen, forgive, and stay connected can make all the difference. No marriage is perfect, but the ones that last are made up of two people who keep showing up and working through it together.
And for us, faith has always been a big part of it. Having shared values and a sense of purpose helps keep things in perspective when life gets busy or challenging. Whether it’s prayer, serving others, or just staying grounded in what matters most, that spiritual foundation helps guide the way. At the end of the day, a successful marriage isn’t about having it easy—it’s about sticking together, growing together, and building something that lasts.
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