People who wanted to wish the former President could "send their birthday wishes" via an online card at the couples' Carter Center.
Jimmy Carter, the oldest-ever living President, turned 97 on Friday.
Carter celebrated the milestone at home with his wife of 94 years, Rosalynn Carter in a quiet manner. "There are no public events planned for President Carter's 97th birthday, which he will spend in Plains," the Carters' spokeswoman tells PEOPLE.
The spokeswoman then added that people who wanted to wish the former president could "send their birthday wishes" via an online card at the couples' Carter Center.
Carter, born on October 1, 1924, was elected as the 39th President of the United States in 1976. Before that, he served as a state senator and as governor of Georgia. However, once his tenure at the White House ended, he shifted his focus to humanitarian work, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Along with being the longest living president, the Carters are also the longest-married presidential couple in the US. The two got married on July 7, 1946, and their love deserves to be celebrated!
Rosalynn was Carter's sister, Ruth's best friend. He knew Rosalyn from the day she was born. After their very first date, he was sure that she is the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He told his mother, "That was the girl I wanted to marry," quotes Good Morning America.
Now, after more than eight decades since their wedding, the couple still lives in the small town that witnessed them grow from little children to lovers to spouses, cites AP. “It’s a full partnership,” Carter said.
It's no easy feat to remain married for this long, but the Carters have a piece of very simple advice that has helped them through tough times. “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage,” Carter said. “Every day there needs to be reconciliation and communication between the two spouses,” the former president said. “We don’t go to sleep with some remaining differences between us,” he said.
Rosalynn chimed in, talking about the importance of finding things that are interesting to both. “Jimmy and I are always looking for things to do together.” But, this doesn't mean you stick to each other like glue, because “each (person) should have some space. That’s really important.”
"For 75 years of marriage we've always gone deeper in our love for one another," the president said. "I think that's a kind of extraordinary thing. Doesn't happen to very many couples, but it certainly happened to us."
It's true what they say, nothing is impossible when you have the right person by your side, and as Rosalynn says, "Everything with Jimmy Carter has been an adventure."
References:
https://people.com/politics/president-jimmy-carter-turns-97/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Frazer Harrison
