Photo: Unsplash
In honor of Mother's day, we stopped fabulous grandmas on the streets of New York and asked them to give their best advice on love.
By Danielle Page — Written on May 03, 2018
If you run a Google search on "love advice," I'm willing to bet that you'll get back thousands of results.
Sure, there's some valuable information out there about the do's and dont's of making a relationship work, as told by experts. But what I was after when I set out to ask grandmas for their best piece of advice on love was some real talk from the women who have actually "been there, done that" and lived through the ups and downs of making a relationship work in the long-term.
They didn't disappoint.
Here's what 10 grandmas had to say about what the most important piece of love advice they've learned — from how to choose your partner, to the importance of being equals.
You can't give love to others if you don't have love for yourself.
Photo: Angelique Ferrante
"I've been married for over 40 years. The most important thing I've learned is that you can't give something to another person that you don't have for yourself. When you are honest with the love you have for yourself, only then can you offer to share and sacrifice that love with another." -Marion
See the best in one another.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"Love for one another and trust in each other are the most important things to have in a relationship. My husband and I were married for a long time, and we got along very well. He was very good to everybody. He was a very warm person who loved everyone, everybody was his friend. Sometimes I didn't see what he saw in others, but he got along with everyone. He made a lot of people laugh, and he kept people happy. Especially me." -Shirley
Handsome + sense of humor = winning combination.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"Choose a handsome man (pictured here) who has a sense of humor, so that you can laugh together all the time." -Nancy
Allow yourselves to miss each other.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"We've been married for over 30 years. He lives at home with his two sisters, so we get to miss each other. In fact, when I go home, I'm going to call him." -Gayle
Pay attention to how you're treated.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"Pay attention to how you're being treated. If the person you're with is critical of you, that might just be the way that they are. It's not that they're doing it specifically to you, it's that they're like that with everyone. It's made me not judge people as much, to ease up on them and not allow myself to be hurt by their words as much. But if you're not okay with it, you shouldn't be with that person." -Angela
Love shouldn't be hard.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"When I'm with someone that I really like and care about I feel safe. It's easy. Really easy. It shouldn't be hard." -Diva
Get married for the right reasons.
Photo: Flickr / John Lamb
"I've been divorced for quite a number of years. I married a guy for the wrong reasons, and he married me for the wrong reasons but he was a very good ex-husband and took care of my daughters. Choose your partner for the right reasons. Make sure you feel comfortable with them, and that you're compatible intellectually and come from similar backgrounds. It makes things easier."
Can we take your picture?
" I owe people money. Someone may come after me."
Like who?
"The old candy store." -Name Withheld
Put yourself first.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"You have to love yourself in order for you to give love to others, and that goes for everyone you love. Your friends, your family and especially babies. Babies need lots of love." -Lisa
Treat each other as equals.
Photo: Lindsay Michelle Photography
"Don't be too serious with each other, it will make it easier to get to know one another. Always treat each other as equals. When we're in love, we speak a new language with each other, and take care of each other in a special way. It's so pure and precious." -Bonita
Build your love on friendship.
Photo: Fleur-de-lees Photography
"St. Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians (Love is patient, love is kind...). My own input would be that your mate has to be your best friend before he is your lover. You must be able to talk about and share your feelings with each other without fear, and be able to laugh together and cry together." -Laura