Falling in love with someone wonderful is a great gift. Sadly, not every love story ends in happily ever after, but some people are truly blessed, getting to spend their lives with their soulmates. Former US President Jimmy Carter and his beloved wife Rosalynn had been married for 77 years and he often expressed his love through beautiful words that captured his tender love and care for his darling.
Former US president Jimmy Carter and his beloved wife Rosalynn spent 77 wonderful years together
The Carters got married on July 7, 1946, at a church in their hometown in Plains, Georgia. From that day onward, the couple was inseparable – they hold the title of the longest-married Presidential couple. In 2023, they celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary. Jimmy captured their love story in a heartfelt poem, featured in his 1995 book titled “Always a Reckoning”.
The poem takes readers back to their youth where Jimmy remembers young and shy Rosalynn. Her essence captivated his heart, and he slowly began falling in love with the young woman.
“She’d smile, and birds would feel that they no longer
had to sing, or it may be I failed
to hear their song.
Within a crowd, I’d hope her glance might be
for me, but I knew that she was shy, and wished
to be alone.
I’d pay to sit behind her, blind to
what was on the screen, and watch the image flicker
upon her hair.
I’d glow when her diminished voice would clear
my muddled thoughts, like lightning flashing in
a gloomy sky.
The nothing in my soul with her aloof
was changed to foolish fullness when she came
to be with me.
With shyness gone and hair caressed with gray
her smile still makes the birds forget to sing
and me to hear their song.”
Jimmy would often put his love for Rosalynn into words. In 1995, he wrote a poem titled “Rosalynn” capturing their love throughout the times
The poem takes the reader through time, effectively capturing the feeling of young love at the beginning and a more mature, strong bond. He wrote of a shy girl who wouldn’t look at him, yet he desperately yearned to steal a glance from her, almost like a schoolboy with his first crush.
He’d find solace in her, her voice “would clear muddled thoughts”. A loved one often serves as a safe harbor during the unforgiving storms of life. No matter how hard things get, being able to hold your beloved at the end of the day gives strength you didn’t know you had. Love truly makes the world go round, flowers bloom in spring and songbirds sing.
Jimmy ended the poem with a bittersweet passage, telling of the change, how time has left her “hair caressed with gray” and “shyness gone”. Rosalynn grew from a shy girl into a confident woman, a first lady who stood proudly by her husband. Despite the change, his love remains as strong, her smile having the same effect on him as it did all those years ago.
“I’d glow when her diminished voice would clear my muddled thoughts, like lightning flashing in a gloomy sky” he wrote of his feelings
Sadly, Rosalynn passed away this November. She was surrounded by her family
Sadly, Rosalynn passed away at 96 in November of this year. She was blessed to go “peacefully with her family by her side”. After her death, Jimmy Carter released a touching statement about the former First Lady.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
The former president, who is 99 years old, is facing a lot of health challenges and lives in hospice care. However, he still showed up for his darling one last time at the memorial service to say goodbye.
Despite his own health troubles, Jimmy Carter attended her memorial service – he had to say goodbye one last time
Their daughter Amy shared one of the letters Jimmy had sent to Rosalynn while he was in the navy
Their daughter Amy paid a beautiful tribute to her parents’ love story, choosing to read a love letter written by Jimmy 75 years ago. “I chose something that is hard to read without crying,” Amy said during the service. “My mom spent most of her life in love with my dad. Their partnership and love story was a defining feature of her life. Because he isn’t able to speak to you today, I am going to share some of his words about loving and missing her.”
During his service in the Navy, Jimmy wrote letters to his Rosalynn. This particular one chosen by Amy describes the longing he felt being away from her, showing just how much he couldn’t bear life without his darling.
“My darling, every time I have ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are. While I am away, I try to convince myself that you really are not, could not be as sweet and beautiful as I remember. But when I see you, I fall in love with you all over again. Does that seem strange to you? It doesn’t to me. Goodbye, darling. Until tomorrow. Jimmy.”
“But when I see you, I fall in love with you all over again. Does that seem strange to you? It doesn’t to me. Goodbye, darling. Until tomorrow. Jimmy”
Love stories like these remind us that true love exists, and it can last a lifetime. It requires hard work, patience and understanding. True loves mean choosing your beloved one every day: when they’re happy, when they’re confused and scared, whenever they are battling illnesses and trials of life. Just like Rosalynn chose Jimmy every day of her life.
Hopefully, we all get so lucky to spend a wonderfully extraordinary life with someone we truly love and at the twilight of our lives, we can hold their wrinkled hands and say “Thank you for the life we had. I love you still.”
Do you have any love stories to share?
People in the comments were touched by the Carters’ love story
