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Couple shares secret to happiness after celebrating 79 years of marriage

'We didn’t go through life without problems, but we would never do anything to hurt each other,' Hubert Malicote said.

A couple that's been married for 79 years share the keys to their relationship.

If you want something to make your heart go "squee," look no further. This story will warm your heart and make you believe in love, and let's face it, given how the world feels right now, we can all use a little heart warming. A couple in Hamilton, Ohio, recently celebrated 79 years of marriage. And if that milestone isn't enough, they're also turning 100 in July 2022. That makes for one summer full of celebration. Both TODAY and their local NBC news channel WLWT reported on the couple, whose story is too sweet for words.


Hubert and June Malicote were both born in July 1922 in rural Kentucky, and at age 19 were both looking for jobs in Hamilton, Ohio, where they met at church.

"Miraculously the back pew was empty, so, we went in and they were all standing and right in front of us was a pew full of young girls. And, she looked around at me and smiled," Hubert told WLWT.

The spark ignited a friendship that quickly turned to love, and the couple was married on June 8, 1943. Not long after their wedding, Hubert joined the Navy to fight in World War II. After being stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hubert sent June a grass skirt so she knew where he was.

"In a few weeks, I got back a picture and I had my own Honolulu girl," Hubert said when talking to WLWT. He also added that when he came home two years later, June was there waiting. "As the train stopped, the conductor standing beside me said 'she's waiting for you,'" Hubert said.

After Hubert's time in the war, the couple settled in Hamilton and had three children. They also have seven grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Hubert worked for local company Diebold for 50 years before retiring, and June was a stay-at-home mom.

"She was a terrific stay-at-home mom," Hubert said. "She made the girls' dresses. She planted a big garden. She canned and preserved, and she was a good stay-at-home mom."

When a couple has been married for so long, you have to wonder what they're doing to make their marriage work. (Yes the Malicotes come from a time when couples rarely divorced, but that's beside the point.) The Malicotes are still happily married, and Herbert claims they've "never had one quarrel." Their 70-year-old daughter Jo told TODAY that this is true.

“We didn’t go through life without problems, but we would never do anything to hurt each other,” Hubert told TODAY.

Another important lesson he's learned? Sometimes you need to know when to walk away from a fight and take a breather.

“If there’s controversy, you might have to walk away for a couple minutes,” Hubert explains. “Then you come back in and change the subject or you work it out.” Maybe that's why the couple has never quarreled!

Despite not having any sort of date night routine, the couple still spend most of their time together, with Hubert explaining to TODAY that they simply enjoy each other's company.

“We’ve never really gone out much. When the kids were younger we were happy sitting around the table sharing stories about our day,” he said.

Now, the couple enjoys their quiet routines. June has suffered from multiple strokes, which have left it hard for her to communicate. But when you've been married for 79 years, you don't always need words. They have dinner together every night before sitting down to watch a movie together before bed. And they always kiss each other goodnight.

“I put Mom in her wheelchair next to where Dad is sitting and they hold hands and say goodnight to each other,” their daughter Jo told TODAY. "Then in the morning, they are so happy to see each other. They greet each other with huge smiles.”

It's really beautiful to see a couple so in love after so many years. They told WLWT that their family is planning a joint birthday celebration, and they were the grand marshals for the Oxford Independence Day Parade in Oxford, Ohio, over Fourth of July weekend.

Cheers to love!

Tennessean Bailey Sellers lost her father about five years ago, when she was just 16. Before he passed away, however, he arranged for a very special delivery to come her way every year on her birthday: a bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt letter.

Sellers' flowers arrived, as expected, on Nov. 24, 2017.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Sellers, used with permission.‌


Predictably, it came with a heart-wrenching letter — but this year, the note from her dad packed an especially meaningful punch.

Sellers' father arranged for his letters and flowers to arrive only through her 21st birthday. So this birthday, she received his final gifts.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Sellers, used with permission.‌

"Bailey, this is my last love letter to you until we meet again," her dad began the note, which Sellers shared on Twitter.

His letter continued (emphasis added):

"I do not want you to shed another tear for me my baby girl for I am in a better place. You are and will always be the most precious jewel I was given. It is your 21st birthday, and I want you to always respect your momma and stay true to yourself. Be happy and live life to the fullest. I will still be with you through every milestone, just look around and there I will be. I love you boo boo and happy birthday!!! Daddy"

Along with the flowers and letter, Sellers also shared an old photo of her and her dad from a trip to the beach.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Sellers, used with permission.‌

In the few days since Sellers shared the photos, her post has amassed over 1.5 million likes and over 360,000 retweets.

Its powerful message struck a chord with many people — especially those who've lost a parent as well.

Sellers' dad's letter may be pulling at heartstrings extra hard considering the time of year. The holidays can be tough, after all. Many of us have complicated or strained relationships with family and friends, and — compounded with the stresses of presents, parties, and lots of baking — the true gift of the holidays can get lost in the shuffle.

But Sellers' story shows why it's so important we cherish the ones we have in the short time that we have them.

"Every year I looked forward to my birthday because I felt like [my dad] was still here with me but this is the last year I get them so it's so heart breaking," Sellers wrote in a follow-up tweet in the thread.

"Makes sense, Bailey," a supportive user responded to her. "But I hope you can also see the message he likely intended by stopping [his letters]. He believes in you. He believes that you are capable of wondrous things. He believes YOU are ready to be without the flowers even if you don't know it yet." ❤️

Twin sisters Paulina Pignaton Pandolfi and Maria Pignaton Pontin celebrated their 100th birthday May 24.

The milestone birthday made the local news, catching photographer Camila Lima's attention. Lima reached out to the twins and their families and set up a delightful, borderline-magical photo shoot in Vitória, Brazil.

Paulina (left) and Maria celebrate their big day. All photos by Fotografa Camila Lima, used with permission.


The sisters got their hair and make up done and put on fluffy tutus for the occasion.

Lima said the sisters were a little quiet at first but quickly opened up.

And there were so many perfect props to bring the shoot to life. Maria and Paulina were totally game!

After all, you don't make it a century in age without knowing how to cut loose.

At 100 years old, Paulina and Maria have so much to celebrate.

Paulina (in pink) is one tough mother. She has six children, 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She's survived cancer and two heart attacks, but she continues laugh, smile, and make the most of life.

Like her sister, Maria (in blue) is buoyed by her faith and loving family. She has 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson. Both women have put a lot of life and love in their years.

After her photo session with Paulina and Maria, Lima said she intends to add more senior models to her clientele.

Lima hopes capturing and sharing photos of her older clients will inspire her younger clients, particularly those just engaged or starting families.

Lima with Paulina and Maria.

As these lovely ladies remind us, celebrating your amazing accomplishments and feeling your look have no age limit.

So whether it's a milestone birthday, a job well done, or just another day living your best life, don't be afraid to celebrate yourself and let others celebrate you too. Don't wait for a special occasion — life is pretty special already.

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State Farm

There's a certain feeling you get while talking to someone like Katherine Cartwright.

The energy changes. The air crackles as though a storm's on the horizon. Her enthusiasm rubs off and you suddenly feel inspired, like you might try organizing the garage or finishing the first draft of your novel.

It doesn't seem to matter that she's only 8 years old.


Image via State Farm/YouTube.

Katherine's always had big ideas and the drive to follow through on them. So her mom wasn't the least bit surprised when Katherine — a dog-lover who once saved up her Christmas money to adopt her three-legged rescue dog named Duke — wanted to do something more for her furry friends.

For her 8th birthday, Katherine decided to give up her gifts and do something special for the local shelter instead.

Watch the heartwarming story:

The Cartwrights are regular volunteers at their local humane shelter, and that's how Katherine got the idea to do something special to improve the lives of the animals who lived there.

"I saw lots of dogs and cats without toys and stuff," she says. She felt that the animals needed new things more than she did, and she just happened to have a birthday coming up.

Katherine's mom, Rachel, created a hashtag, #Donate4Katherine, and with the help of State Farm, got friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers involved. They collected far more blankets, beds, and toys than Katherine had ever anticipated. When Katherine's day finally came, she was totally surprised by all the support and donations.

"I'm shaking!" Katherine said, as she was greeted by a truckload of pet supplies.

Image via State Farm/YouTube.

According to the Cartwrights, this was far from a one-time deal. They're regular volunteers at the Humane Society and Katherine does lots of community work with her Girl Scout troop. She's also always thinking up new ideas for the future. "I want to be a vet," she says. "For my whole life, I want to help animals."

Image via iStock.

Katherine's a pretty amazing kid. But what's even more amazing is that her story isn't all that unusual.

Just this year alone, 8-year-old Falyn Svalstad collected more than her weight in nonperishable food, twins Jemima and Helen Snyder donated all their gifts to Philadelphia charities, and Gess Gallien's family sent his birthday funds to a Virginia organization that helps families pay emergency bills.

Those are just three examples — and it doesn't take much searching to find dozens more. There's even an online platform that helps parents and children plan their own charitable birthday party. It seems that charitable efforts can be contagious — after the success of Katherine's donation celebration, a few kids in her class announced similar parties, with plans to give their presents away to children in need.

But you don't need to have a birthday party in order to do good. State Farm is making it really easy to find giving opportunities, so that we can all live in one big Neighborhood of Good™.

Image via iStock.

Selfless kids like Katherine give us a lot to look forward to as younger generations grow.

These donation projects they're taking on prove something important: Kids are realizing early on that it can feel just as good to give to others as it does to receive, and there are a million different ways to help out a neighbor (whether people or puppies!). Their giving attitude and commitment to making a difference could be just what it takes to change the world for the better. Certainly, the more people in the world like Katherine, the better off we'll be.