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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Emma Dunn & Julia Banim

Couple say happy marriage is down to prioritising each other over their kids

A couple who are still going strong 30 years into their marriage put their happy relationship down to always making sure they both "put their marriage before their kids".

Sonya Heath, 52, met her now husband Al, 53, while she was working as a nurse at a camp, and the pair hit it off straight away.

Just three months after their first meeting, Al, a pastor, proposed to Sonia on Christmas Eve, 1991, and the happy couple tied the knot the following July.

In the decades since the pair have welcomed three children together - Summer, 27, Levi, 24, and Quinten, 22 - but have always made sure to make their relationship "a priority". The parents will even go as far as to tell their adult children that they love each other more than they love them

Al proposed just three months after meeting Sonya, knowing she was the one for him (Sonya Heath / SWNS)
The couple say they're 'more in love' than ever 30 years on (Sonya Heath / SWNS)

Music pastor Sonya and Al will enjoy family holidays with their kids, but will also make sure to head off on a couple's trip together once a year, and will also schedule regular date nights.

The couple is now preparing to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, and loved-up Sonya says she grows "more in love" with Al as time goes by.

Sonya, from Toronto, Canada, said: "We've always dated through having kids. Even when our daughter was young. When Al came home the first thing he'd do was see me.

"There are times when the kids need everything from you, but we'd always tell them we love mum and dad more than them. We'd go on vacations with the family and one with just him and I.

"You love your kids, but our marriage was something we wanted to keep alive. It's about having an adventure with the other person."

The couple have always made sure to have holidays without their kids (Sonya Heath / SWNS)
The couple's three grown-up children have now all flown the nest, leaving them with more time for adventures (Sonya Heath / SWNS)

As of 2019, each of Al and Sonya's three children have flown the nest, and the couple is now enjoying spending more time together, sharing adventures and special trips away together.

Sonya continued: "I can't imagine life without him. I feel bad when people don't have someone. It's such a blessing. He's my safe space. We've done so much more in life together than we would have apart. We laugh so much. It's fun being goofy with each other."

Do you have a relationship-related story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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