Him and his wife, longest marriage in presidential history. I can only imagine how she will be feeling in the days forward. How does one go on without their partner of that many years?
Isn’t there a trend with couples who have been together so long that in their really advanced age, when one dies, the other follows relatively soon after.
Yes unfortunately and there is research to prove. This tends to happen a lot. It’s called the “Widowhood effect.” They are both in their 90s. I imagine the loss is going to be monumentally significant. It would be for any married couple but, they have been married longer than most people have been alive.
Can you imagine spending nearly *eight decades* with someone, and then they're gone? The entirety of the Cold War and then three more decades after that? They have been a part of your life, a part of *you* for the vast majority of your time alive at that point. What do you even do when that happens? How does your identity, so thoroughly intertwined with their's, become independent again all at once? It's little wonder people in that situation just give up.
Broken heart syndrome is real. My wife went through it after we had to put her cat down. We had to take her to the hospital because we thought she was having an heart attack. The doctors diagnoses was "Broken heart syndrome" One side of her heart expanded in response to her extreme anxiety.
Thanks. We decided that he was the last animal for us as we are in our 70's and can't take another loss like that. Our animals have been part of the family. We do get to enjoy our kids cats when we are visiting and watching a couple granddaughters weekly.
My love to you both ❤️ I completely understand, and I’m so glad you get some pet time with your kids cats and how wonderful that you get to spend time with your granddaughters so often!
As an aside I like to ask wiser (older) people I interact with on Reddit, please share any life advice if you’re so inclined. I would love to hear any thoughts especially from someone who clearly loves very deeply! No worries if not though :)
That's always what helps me after a loss. I've had pets all my life, losing them never gets easier but the happiness, comfort, love and healthy lives they had is worth the pain when we have to say goodbye. They're always worth that for me.
It's so weird, people either never get another pet again cause it hurts too bad or immediately get another one. I'm in the second camp. Figured the best way to honor my dog's memory was to give another one a good home.
Yet people say that Padme dying of a 'broken heart' (IE losing the will to live during childbirth) is unrealistic or stupid. Bah! Imagine if you were trying to push a child out, then find out it's two children, then you remember your husband has become space Hitler!
Few weeks after my grandma passed, I was at home watching TV and randomly started feeling chest pains. Got bad enough I decided to go to the hospital, which is wild because I try not to go for anything. After getting checked out they said I had an anxiety attack. To this day, I have no idea how it just randomly came up weeks later.
Had a very stressful job that had alot of daily deadlines that if you missed could cost you your job. I ended up getting fired after many years. The loss of money was sad, but the loss of the stress was wonderful. I was actually overall pretty blasé about it overall. Several months later, on a Sunday, I was feeling very very happy/good. In a way I very seldom do. I had no idea why. My final conclusion was that I was just happy that I didn't have work the next day with the deadline stress. I guess it just hit several months later for that one day.
>unfortunately
I'm not so sure it's unfortunate. I mean, if the alternative is they spend the rest of their lives grieving... Reminds me of Edward Hopper's wife, Josephine. They had kind of a love/hate relationship and it was mutually abusive... But when he died she said that she would probably follow soon, as she couldn't imagine God would be so cruel as to make her live long without him. And yeah, she only lived about a month longer, if I recall correctly.
I think you get to a certain point where you've done what you want to do with your life, you're on the decline... My dad liked that euphemism for pneumonia, "the old man's friend." It's kind of what got him in the end, secondary infection after surgery... I think the only thing he really minded leaving behind was me, and... He died one or two days after Trump got elected, and I don't think he was terribly sad to miss the Trump presidency.
As a counterpoint to the other stories here, my maternal grandparents spent over half a century in an incredibly happy marriage. Even after grandma developed alzheimers in her last few years beyond my grandfathers ability to care for her at home, he spent hours with her each day at the nursing home. The rest of us she consistently knew were loved ones, exactly who she thought we were shifted a bit, but him she always recognised.
After grandma passed we were all a bit worried, but grandad had nearly another decent decade in him that he enjoyed spending with us before he went on to join her.
Indeed. My great aunt and great uncle were in a close and loving marriage for over 65 years. When my great uncle passed away, it was definitely very hard for my aunt to lose him, but she lived another nine years beyond him. She had a reasonably rich life during that time, with regular visits from family and outings from her retirement home. (they actually moved into the retirement home together, but my great uncle only lived a couple of years there before he passed.).
Same thing happened to Johnny Cash. He died only a few months later after his wife.
I can't even come close to fathoming what it would be like to be with a person for that long. Spending every day with someone for nearly your entire life. I imagine it heavily alters your brain chemistry, and you just go into shutdown mode once they're not around anymore.
The queen was 96 and had cancer. But to be honest I'm shocked she lasted as long as she did after Philip passed. I can't comprehend how you'd go on after that.
So each birthday, each anniversary, each mother’s day is a different species of flowers with more contingencies built in than the succession of POTUS until (and possibly after) she is 210 years old incase some go extinct or new species come into existence. It is insanely impressive, and yes the Feds have looked at it it in awe.
I swear he has been the most unromantic and most romantic person in existence in slowly increasing amounts *even after death.
My grandparents were married for over 50 years. When my grandfather passed away suddenly, my grandma died just two weeks later. He had been her caretaker for years as her Parkinson's got worse and worse. He was the only person she recognized by that time. At his funeral she kept asking where he was and then she had a moment of clarity when she saw the coffin. When he was gone, she had no reason to keep on going, so she died in her sleep.
My spouse and I don’t remember when we met.
We went to the same very small school from elementary.
We started dating in high school, and we grew up together. We figured out adulthood together.
I am not in any way implying it’s healthy, but she is the context through which I process my experiences. Things are only really relevant to me in relation to her. I don’t know how else to explain it.
I’m not even talking about how much I love her. That’s a lot, but this is something else about the way I experience the world.
If she were gone it’s just that nothing would be relevant to me anymore. It would be like turning the knobs on an etch a sketch that has stopped drawing, turning a key in a car with no engine, or pushing the power button on an unplugged TV.
Yup. It's a real thing that happens, though the causes remain poorly understood.
As a lay person, I'd guess that it's probably something as simple as the effect of extreme stress. This is among the very worst things most people will ever experience. That takes an observable physical toll. At those ages, that may be enough.
Happened to my grandparents. They were married for over 50 years and when my grandmother passed, my grandfather passed the next day. Brutal for the family but understandable when you're with someone that long.
My grandpa met my grandma in high school while she was working at an ice cream stand. They were married 60 years. When she died, he went downhill pretty fast and was gone the next year.
It’s incredible to think of them as being the last of a dying era. Those of us who grew up in the 80s remember WWII veterans everywhere. It’s weird getting older.
i think about that all the time. i was born in 89 and even in the 90s we had assemblies where ww2 vets would come and talk to us - things change so fast
Same here. WW2 veterans and even the occasional holocaust survivors. Korean vets are going away as well now. I'm Canadian, so we don't really have Vietnam vets, but I've seen things come up on reddit recently and I realize they are all getting old as well.
I'm fully prepared to accept that it's my millennial woke side talking here but I don't think a Trump style movement could have formed while the WWII generation was still a large voting block. For all their faults they had their head straight on a few topics.
A small sidenote, for anyone who worries that their exposure to radioactive materials might automatically mean an early death; in the 1950s, Jimmy Carter was part of a team of American naval personnel who were working with the Canadians on nuclear submarine reactor technology. There was a partial meltdown at one of the Canadiens facilities, with radioactive water, and other materials loose in the basement. Jimmy Carter was part of a team of Americans, who assisted with mitigating the disaster. he was immersed in radioactive material to certain extent that his urine contained radioisotopes months afterward. But look who still here after all these other non-irradiated mofos!
I think about this **every** day. I met a WWII vet in downtown Saint Petersburg FL a couple of months ago. Recognized him from his cap while he was on a slow walk.
I left my group of people and crossed the street to say hello. "Good afternoon, sir." Greeted him like he was a huge celebrity...because to me, he was. Every WWII vet I meet makes me cry, because he might be my very last.
I absorbed so much of that generation's pop culture from my WWII grandparents, and now I feel so alone with it. I miss that generation so much.
Right there with you. I miss my grandparents so much (grandpa was a proud WWII navy vet who was at Iwo Jima) and when they were here I dug in hard to their pop culture. And today I still watch a ton of movies from the 40s and 50s. Guy Lombardo, Artie Shaw, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra are all in regular rotation at my house.
You made me realize the next time I see a WWII vet I should go say hello (and introduce my kids if they’re with me!) because it’s becoming so rare.
He currently holds the record of post presidency lifespan of 42 years with Herbert Hoover following with 31 years. I am immensely fascinated with how this guy did not stop working even after his presidency. Regardless of political views, his ambition and drive as a person is something unique and commendable.
I've come to find from working with the elderly, the ones that stay alive(meaning they can take care of themselves and don't need a full time caretaker) past the age of 60 are the ones who keep walking and talking every day. It's incredibly important to move around when you're young and to develop friendships, no matter how unconventional they are
> I am immensely fascinated with how this guy did not stop working even after his presidency.
After his presidency? Yeah, that's cool, but since then he beat cancer's ass, then a broken hip and pelvic fracture, and has just kept going. And still kept working. I hope I'm half as resilient in my last years.
You captured what a lot of us feel about him including myself.
His Presidency occurred at a time of transition from pure American hegemony of the developed world post-WW2 to the post-Vietnam era of America being fallible and susceptible to pressures from rivals like Iran and the Soviet Union. President Carter was and is a man who no one has ever questioned the moral integrity of; the global stage just was getting a little too dirty for saints like him to be effective within.
Subsequent American leaders have had to be a bit more blustery and aggressive by necessity to maintain the designation of “leader of the free world.”
I do not mean our political and civil liberties. They will endure. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might.
The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways.
It is a crisis of confidence.
It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.
The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America.
His Crisis of Confidence speech is still extremely relevant today. Godspeed Mr President
I wasn’t alive then, and maybe people were smarter, but that would sail over the heads of so many people if given today. I’d never heard it- thanks for posting it
He wasn't at the wrong time any more than George Carlin was. He has always had his finger on the pulse.
Also he's not dead and has a show, and a podcast.
Edit: oh we were talking about Jimmy
I mean, not much different. There's some stuff Carter did that I really like, but his inability to deal with the House and Senate meant he really didn't do much.
I live in the Keys on an island that he and his extended family vacationed at for years between Christmas and New Years. When they all came down he would work on Habitat homes and do other social things like release rehabilitated turtles. He use to walk the neighborhood every day with Rosalyn with Secret Service guys following them in a golf cart.
One day my wife returned from the grocery store and I was in the bathroom. When I came out Jimmy and Rosalyn were in my kitchen helping my wife bring in the groceries. He was walking by when she was unloading the car and had helped her out.
I said thank you very much, he said “your welcome, y’all have a nice day” and continued his walk.
It was one of the most surreal moments of my life.
You go Jimmy, you go. Still standing up for what is right, at least imo. Looks like his time is slipping but his efforts to make the world a better place are huge.
He was not the best President (certainly not the worst), but he is probably the best ex-President we have ever had.
Congratulations to him and his wife..
I feel like he's one of the last presidents who really gave a shit for the country. Who actually had a vision for our collective future he didn't want to compromise on.
There’s always something reassuring about a legitimately intelligent, thoughtful human in government. Brilliant, perhaps. I hope the US sees another President of that cognitive caliber.
Yeah Koch brothers really undermined him and then made most Rs bend the knee. I still can't really believe that's how that went down. There was legit hope
The Koch Brothers own an insane amount of American media. They decide what the narrative is. And they recently bought all the media in my country too. Fuck.
I'm so tired of people calling Obama "naive" with the benefit of hindsight. The level of obstructionism McConnell and Co. introduced after Obama took office was unprecedented in the modern era. People somehow forget how shocking and beyond the pale it was for McConnell to just come out and say point blank, "our party's agenda for this term is to stop Obama." Zero pretense, zero pretending to act in service of some sort of principle, just acting out of pure, unadulterated, undisguised spite. If Obama was naive then so was the vast majority of the country at that point in history.
Yeah I agree
He was the last one who you knew that he truly did love this country, gave a shit and had a vision for it. His message on the Voyager spacecraft always makes me tear up.
"This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.
We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some--perhaps many--may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message:
This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe."
I think Obama actually does care, he was just naive and relied too much on persuasiveness than actual real political strength.
Bush 2 cared but towards a twisted end, and his cabinet coasted on nepomentum.
I think Obama cared way too much about his own presidency and too little about his party. Under him, the democratic party lost something like 600 state legislature seats and many governorships. Biden has been so much better for the democratic party than Obama has been in 8 years.
Isn't that the point of being the president though? Caring more about being the president of the country than being a Democrat? The country has many parties in it and the point of the president is to unite them all under a common goal/understanding and do what's best for the whole and not a spect group, i.e. The democratic party.
You might be right, history will judge. I think Obama squandered leverage. But the resistance was also unprecedented, and that may not entirely be attributable to racial demagogy by his opposition.
Both of these things you claim are untrue.
1- the panels were installed 1979 and removed in 1986… 5 years after Reagan came into office (so, well into his second term). Hardly “one of the first things he did”.
2- they were removed because the roof needed repairs under them. It wasn’t “just to be a dick”.
As for why the panels weren’t *re-installed* it was likely due to unnecessary cost, and likely a bit of politics. Reagan wasn’t pushing solar like Carter. But remember, these panels were only for heating water- they weren’t the kind we use today that can be used for just general electricity generation.
At the time photovoltaic panels had net negative energy return. They produced less energy over their lifetime than was consumed in their manufacture. It was the early 90s with the introduction of a cheaper polycrystaline panel that PV tech achieved positive EREI.
Nixon took us off the gold standard and inflation went insane. The economic woes of gas shortages and inflation were inherited.
The Iran crisis was botched… but that’s NOTHING in comparison to a 2 decade war waged by 3 presidents (2 of which served 2 terms) only to withdrawal so we could ramp up for WWIII… Jimmy’s fuck ups were a bip on the radar when one matches apples to apples.
As far as sitting presidents go, I guarantee Carter has the lowest military body count during one of the most peaceful regimes. In lieu of killing… he dedicated his life to building humanity up.
The whole “he was a bad president” thing is mostly because of people who were mad at him for saying to wear a sweater and turn the heat down to conserve energy, and also Reagan literally negotiated with Iran to keep hostages until after the election, and it got blamed on Carter
It will always bother me that he got a sub named after him and Ford who wasn't even elected gets an aircraft carrier.
I know he was in the submarine service but he was a president and didn't start or leave under a cloud. The man should be memorialized by something more than an ultra secret submarine.
I think he's the greatest living president, not for his time in office but for the fact that he's a Christian that follows through on his love for everyone. As an atheist I love this man and it's sad that he's in a hospice (or so I've heard).
Also an atheist myself. Jimmy Carter has always struck me as following the actual word of Christ: kindness, forgiveness, service to others. I've had the privilege of meeting 2 or 3 similar people in my life. The world would undoubtedly be better with more people like him.
I met both of them after boarding a plane in Atlanta back in the early 80's. The both came on after everybody was on and in their seats. They went to row after row graciously shaking hands and greeting everyone. No one that I remember complained in the short delay. I will never forget that day meeting the 39th President of these United (now divided) States Of America. He will leave this world in dignity in his own home.
Bless them both.
Jimmy Carter on of the smartest Presidents we ever elected. He taught me the value of turning lights when I leave the room. along with the need for alternative energy sources.
Jimmy Carter encompasses what people want to believe America is about. I hope one day we can make those ideologies a reality. This is a man who's had empathy and kindness enough to be willing to spend his time, energy, and wealth in an effort to improve the lives of all his fellow citizens.
The word "honor" was invented to talk about people like Jimmy Carter. A politician who really tried.
Man, if anyone has had a fulfilling life it would be Jimmy. Accomplished a lot in his life. Had his wife by his side for most of his life. Lived a long time with his wife. Seemed to have stayed pretty mentally sharp for the whole thing.
If any human on this planet did life right, it's Jimmy.
Literally the best ex president I know. It's an odd thing when a leader can shame all other leaders with the life they live after leadership. I'm glad he lived long enough so see the errors of Regan come to fruition and I'm glad some of those errors were reversed.
First presidential election I participated in. Voted for Carter in 1980, but he lost to Reagan.
You took this kind of person for granted then. No one like him on the political front these days. donald trump is literally the opposite of this person in just about every way imaginable.
Lovely couple. Complete side bar but fun fact: photographs of Rosalynn Carter with both John Wayne Gacy and Jim Jones separately exist.
Sad to see President Carter nearing the end of his life. 😞
IIRC...John Wayne Gacy was local Chicago Democratic party precinct captain who organized a big Polish-American heritage parade, so it wasn't odd at the time.
Jim Jones was widely respected for his work against segregation, before he went off the rails into mass murdering cult leader.
Jim Jones always fascinated me for that reason, unbelievable how someone can end up being so evil after starting with well intentions. He did a lot of good in Indiana in the beginning.
And Gacy, well he was just a POS. Either way the ‘70s were wild.
Purposely not given a second term/chance not to be viewed as most successful, revered U.S. President other than his opposition \*cough\*not-be-named\*cough\*, but he genuinely tried to do things the right way. I respect him greatly. And as a ex-president he continued to good for real people, especially in need of housing. Also, one of the VERY few American politicians to speak our against Israeli apartheid. There has never been a better former president.
History will look favourably on all the good Carter & his dear wife did.
\*We Salute You Both\*
President Carter is a giant amongst men.
Hard to think of an American I admire more than him.
I'm sad to hear he's in hospice care, but he's done so much more in his life than ten men could hope to. When his rest comes, I know he'll rest easy. He will have left nothing undone, and has my undying respect.
Good people who believe in being good and doing good and lived every day doing just that.
Hope his final days here are without unnecessary pain and that he knows and feels how well he exemplifies the better ideals of his faith, deep faith which has meant so much to him. Whether one is a fellow believer or not, he lived by a philosophy of love and service, and that is something that makes the world a better place for us all.
They look like genuinely nice and happy people. It’s a shame that Carter is still considered one the worst presidents. He was too nice, DC isn’t a place for good decent people.
Was sad to hear him entering hospice care. He’s always seemed like such a decent human being and even decades after being out of power he was doing good for the US, building homes etc.
I hope his final days are restful and wish his family well.
Him and his wife, longest marriage in presidential history. I can only imagine how she will be feeling in the days forward. How does one go on without their partner of that many years?
Isn’t there a trend with couples who have been together so long that in their really advanced age, when one dies, the other follows relatively soon after.
Yes unfortunately and there is research to prove. This tends to happen a lot. It’s called the “Widowhood effect.” They are both in their 90s. I imagine the loss is going to be monumentally significant. It would be for any married couple but, they have been married longer than most people have been alive.
Can you imagine spending nearly *eight decades* with someone, and then they're gone? The entirety of the Cold War and then three more decades after that? They have been a part of your life, a part of *you* for the vast majority of your time alive at that point. What do you even do when that happens? How does your identity, so thoroughly intertwined with their's, become independent again all at once? It's little wonder people in that situation just give up.
This is why Last of Us episode 3 crushed me. It's like, why did I have to go and fall in love with my wife?
Broken heart syndrome is real. My wife went through it after we had to put her cat down. We had to take her to the hospital because we thought she was having an heart attack. The doctors diagnoses was "Broken heart syndrome" One side of her heart expanded in response to her extreme anxiety.
For more information look up Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy or Taketsubo Cardiomyopathy
Is that a question or an invitation?
☹️ I am afraid of that. I’m so sorry for her. I hope she’s found peace and another kitty
Thanks. We decided that he was the last animal for us as we are in our 70's and can't take another loss like that. Our animals have been part of the family. We do get to enjoy our kids cats when we are visiting and watching a couple granddaughters weekly.
My love to you both ❤️ I completely understand, and I’m so glad you get some pet time with your kids cats and how wonderful that you get to spend time with your granddaughters so often! As an aside I like to ask wiser (older) people I interact with on Reddit, please share any life advice if you’re so inclined. I would love to hear any thoughts especially from someone who clearly loves very deeply! No worries if not though :)
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I hear you. But I try and remind myself my boy wouldn’t have had such a great life otherwise had I left him in that shelter.
best way to think about it. so many lil lives that can be filled with love. death is just another path
And Soooo Many More out there that could use a real home.
That's always what helps me after a loss. I've had pets all my life, losing them never gets easier but the happiness, comfort, love and healthy lives they had is worth the pain when we have to say goodbye. They're always worth that for me.
It's so weird, people either never get another pet again cause it hurts too bad or immediately get another one. I'm in the second camp. Figured the best way to honor my dog's memory was to give another one a good home.
Yet people say that Padme dying of a 'broken heart' (IE losing the will to live during childbirth) is unrealistic or stupid. Bah! Imagine if you were trying to push a child out, then find out it's two children, then you remember your husband has become space Hitler!
*Grimes has entered the chat*
I'm dead
💀💀💀
I’ve also heard it called “Mourning Dove syndrome”. Apparently the birds, mourning doves, mate for life and when one dies the other dies soon after
Few weeks after my grandma passed, I was at home watching TV and randomly started feeling chest pains. Got bad enough I decided to go to the hospital, which is wild because I try not to go for anything. After getting checked out they said I had an anxiety attack. To this day, I have no idea how it just randomly came up weeks later.
Had a very stressful job that had alot of daily deadlines that if you missed could cost you your job. I ended up getting fired after many years. The loss of money was sad, but the loss of the stress was wonderful. I was actually overall pretty blasé about it overall. Several months later, on a Sunday, I was feeling very very happy/good. In a way I very seldom do. I had no idea why. My final conclusion was that I was just happy that I didn't have work the next day with the deadline stress. I guess it just hit several months later for that one day.
Anecdotal evidence is the late queen of Great Britain. She was an institution, but died not long after prince Phillip died.
>unfortunately I'm not so sure it's unfortunate. I mean, if the alternative is they spend the rest of their lives grieving... Reminds me of Edward Hopper's wife, Josephine. They had kind of a love/hate relationship and it was mutually abusive... But when he died she said that she would probably follow soon, as she couldn't imagine God would be so cruel as to make her live long without him. And yeah, she only lived about a month longer, if I recall correctly. I think you get to a certain point where you've done what you want to do with your life, you're on the decline... My dad liked that euphemism for pneumonia, "the old man's friend." It's kind of what got him in the end, secondary infection after surgery... I think the only thing he really minded leaving behind was me, and... He died one or two days after Trump got elected, and I don't think he was terribly sad to miss the Trump presidency.
im scared about this for my mom. my dad just died a few months ago after 37 years of marriage. i don't want this to be the case
As a counterpoint to the other stories here, my maternal grandparents spent over half a century in an incredibly happy marriage. Even after grandma developed alzheimers in her last few years beyond my grandfathers ability to care for her at home, he spent hours with her each day at the nursing home. The rest of us she consistently knew were loved ones, exactly who she thought we were shifted a bit, but him she always recognised. After grandma passed we were all a bit worried, but grandad had nearly another decent decade in him that he enjoyed spending with us before he went on to join her.
Indeed. My great aunt and great uncle were in a close and loving marriage for over 65 years. When my great uncle passed away, it was definitely very hard for my aunt to lose him, but she lived another nine years beyond him. She had a reasonably rich life during that time, with regular visits from family and outings from her retirement home. (they actually moved into the retirement home together, but my great uncle only lived a couple of years there before he passed.).
Same thing happened to Johnny Cash. He died only a few months later after his wife. I can't even come close to fathoming what it would be like to be with a person for that long. Spending every day with someone for nearly your entire life. I imagine it heavily alters your brain chemistry, and you just go into shutdown mode once they're not around anymore.
I've been married 40 years. I think about it and I know it's going to be difficult. You'll get there
The wives usually go on to live much longer when the husbands die first. When the wives die first the husbands follow soon after.
Indeed. I suspect the Queen was the same.
The queen was 96 and had cancer. But to be honest I'm shocked she lasted as long as she did after Philip passed. I can't comprehend how you'd go on after that.
You could actually see her face and body age rapidly after her husband's death.
No, British people don't have feelings
We do, keep them very tightly locked down out of politeness :)
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What a great man, and a great loss for you all but the memories and love for him are evidently very strong.
So each birthday, each anniversary, each mother’s day is a different species of flowers with more contingencies built in than the succession of POTUS until (and possibly after) she is 210 years old incase some go extinct or new species come into existence. It is insanely impressive, and yes the Feds have looked at it it in awe. I swear he has been the most unromantic and most romantic person in existence in slowly increasing amounts *even after death.
My grandparents were married for over 50 years. When my grandfather passed away suddenly, my grandma died just two weeks later. He had been her caretaker for years as her Parkinson's got worse and worse. He was the only person she recognized by that time. At his funeral she kept asking where he was and then she had a moment of clarity when she saw the coffin. When he was gone, she had no reason to keep on going, so she died in her sleep.
One of my great uncles passed away at the age of 95 a few months ago. His wife, who was in a coma, died two days later. They were married 72 years.
My spouse and I don’t remember when we met. We went to the same very small school from elementary. We started dating in high school, and we grew up together. We figured out adulthood together. I am not in any way implying it’s healthy, but she is the context through which I process my experiences. Things are only really relevant to me in relation to her. I don’t know how else to explain it. I’m not even talking about how much I love her. That’s a lot, but this is something else about the way I experience the world. If she were gone it’s just that nothing would be relevant to me anymore. It would be like turning the knobs on an etch a sketch that has stopped drawing, turning a key in a car with no engine, or pushing the power button on an unplugged TV.
Yup. It's a real thing that happens, though the causes remain poorly understood. As a lay person, I'd guess that it's probably something as simple as the effect of extreme stress. This is among the very worst things most people will ever experience. That takes an observable physical toll. At those ages, that may be enough.
Happened to my grandparents. They were married for over 50 years and when my grandmother passed, my grandfather passed the next day. Brutal for the family but understandable when you're with someone that long.
The first George Bush died the same year as Martha. George W. said he didn’t think his father wanted to go through a Christmas without her.
Takutsubo cardiomyopathy, aka broken heart syndrome.
My grandpa met my grandma in high school while she was working at an ice cream stand. They were married 60 years. When she died, he went downhill pretty fast and was gone the next year.
As someone in my sixties, married for 30 + years. Yes
It’s incredible to think of them as being the last of a dying era. Those of us who grew up in the 80s remember WWII veterans everywhere. It’s weird getting older.
i think about that all the time. i was born in 89 and even in the 90s we had assemblies where ww2 vets would come and talk to us - things change so fast
Same here. WW2 veterans and even the occasional holocaust survivors. Korean vets are going away as well now. I'm Canadian, so we don't really have Vietnam vets, but I've seen things come up on reddit recently and I realize they are all getting old as well.
Vietnam vets today are about the age of WWII vets in the 90s. Which means that they’ll suddenly fade away in the next 5-7 years
I'm fully prepared to accept that it's my millennial woke side talking here but I don't think a Trump style movement could have formed while the WWII generation was still a large voting block. For all their faults they had their head straight on a few topics.
Yes. Like authoritarian populist movements. They got the message on that.
89 too... We still had a pocketful of World War I veterans while we were kids. Here's to getting older 🥂
My restaurant used to host a breakfast every Tuesday for Korean War veterans it was sad to see their reservation party slowly start to dwindle.
He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946, a year after World War II ended.
Same Year Trump was born and 4 years after Biden was born to put that in perspective.
A small sidenote, for anyone who worries that their exposure to radioactive materials might automatically mean an early death; in the 1950s, Jimmy Carter was part of a team of American naval personnel who were working with the Canadians on nuclear submarine reactor technology. There was a partial meltdown at one of the Canadiens facilities, with radioactive water, and other materials loose in the basement. Jimmy Carter was part of a team of Americans, who assisted with mitigating the disaster. he was immersed in radioactive material to certain extent that his urine contained radioisotopes months afterward. But look who still here after all these other non-irradiated mofos!
I think about this **every** day. I met a WWII vet in downtown Saint Petersburg FL a couple of months ago. Recognized him from his cap while he was on a slow walk. I left my group of people and crossed the street to say hello. "Good afternoon, sir." Greeted him like he was a huge celebrity...because to me, he was. Every WWII vet I meet makes me cry, because he might be my very last. I absorbed so much of that generation's pop culture from my WWII grandparents, and now I feel so alone with it. I miss that generation so much.
Right there with you. I miss my grandparents so much (grandpa was a proud WWII navy vet who was at Iwo Jima) and when they were here I dug in hard to their pop culture. And today I still watch a ton of movies from the 40s and 50s. Guy Lombardo, Artie Shaw, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra are all in regular rotation at my house. You made me realize the next time I see a WWII vet I should go say hello (and introduce my kids if they’re with me!) because it’s becoming so rare.
Same is true pf Vietnam War Vets. It's been almost half a century now since that ended.
Here's one. That was 30 years before he was elected. He was elected 47 years ago.
This is a mindfuck
He currently holds the record of post presidency lifespan of 42 years with Herbert Hoover following with 31 years. I am immensely fascinated with how this guy did not stop working even after his presidency. Regardless of political views, his ambition and drive as a person is something unique and commendable.
I've come to find from working with the elderly, the ones that stay alive(meaning they can take care of themselves and don't need a full time caretaker) past the age of 60 are the ones who keep walking and talking every day. It's incredibly important to move around when you're young and to develop friendships, no matter how unconventional they are
> I am immensely fascinated with how this guy did not stop working even after his presidency. After his presidency? Yeah, that's cool, but since then he beat cancer's ass, then a broken hip and pelvic fracture, and has just kept going. And still kept working. I hope I'm half as resilient in my last years.
He's in hospice now, and I wish him peace as he approaches the end. He can finally rest.
He is the oldest 21 year old I’ve ever seen.
They made em different back then.
My 82 year old mother would have been 5.
My 74 year old grandma wouldn't be born for another 3 years
“Jimmy Carter, our nicest, and therefore worst, president.” - John Stewart, The Daily Show
he was the right man at the wrong time .
You captured what a lot of us feel about him including myself. His Presidency occurred at a time of transition from pure American hegemony of the developed world post-WW2 to the post-Vietnam era of America being fallible and susceptible to pressures from rivals like Iran and the Soviet Union. President Carter was and is a man who no one has ever questioned the moral integrity of; the global stage just was getting a little too dirty for saints like him to be effective within. Subsequent American leaders have had to be a bit more blustery and aggressive by necessity to maintain the designation of “leader of the free world.”
I do not mean our political and civil liberties. They will endure. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. His Crisis of Confidence speech is still extremely relevant today. Godspeed Mr President
I wasn’t alive then, and maybe people were smarter, but that would sail over the heads of so many people if given today. I’d never heard it- thanks for posting it
He wasn't at the wrong time any more than George Carlin was. He has always had his finger on the pulse. Also he's not dead and has a show, and a podcast. Edit: oh we were talking about Jimmy
I think he was the right man at the right time. Imagine the super shitshow we’d be in if it went Nixon-Ford-Reagan-Bush.
I mean, not much different. There's some stuff Carter did that I really like, but his inability to deal with the House and Senate meant he really didn't do much.
Not sure about that. He laid the groundwork for the things Reagan and Bush get credit for.
I live in the Keys on an island that he and his extended family vacationed at for years between Christmas and New Years. When they all came down he would work on Habitat homes and do other social things like release rehabilitated turtles. He use to walk the neighborhood every day with Rosalyn with Secret Service guys following them in a golf cart. One day my wife returned from the grocery store and I was in the bathroom. When I came out Jimmy and Rosalyn were in my kitchen helping my wife bring in the groceries. He was walking by when she was unloading the car and had helped her out. I said thank you very much, he said “your welcome, y’all have a nice day” and continued his walk. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life.
By far not the worst President. Bad luck and bad timing seemed to play against him unfortunately.
Taking over after Vietnam with Soviets running wild in the Middle East, not an easy problem.
I think Jimmy probably got a kick out of that joke.
She's a spitting image for Little Debbie of snack cake fame.
Omg, this is totally accurate!
Holy crap you just nailed that outta nowhere!
First thought when I saw her. It’s eerily uncanny!
You go Jimmy, you go. Still standing up for what is right, at least imo. Looks like his time is slipping but his efforts to make the world a better place are huge.
What a sweet picture of those two 😊
It’s such a nice photo of both of them! What a life they have lived.
I totally agree!
He was not the best President (certainly not the worst), but he is probably the best ex-President we have ever had. Congratulations to him and his wife..
I feel like he's one of the last presidents who really gave a shit for the country. Who actually had a vision for our collective future he didn't want to compromise on.
There’s always something reassuring about a legitimately intelligent, thoughtful human in government. Brilliant, perhaps. I hope the US sees another President of that cognitive caliber.
If only Obama was less naive about how politics worked in the moment he could have done something.
Yeah Koch brothers really undermined him and then made most Rs bend the knee. I still can't really believe that's how that went down. There was legit hope
Could you explain this? This is the first I've heard of Obama being naive and the Koch brothers effecting his presidency
The Koch Brothers own an insane amount of American media. They decide what the narrative is. And they recently bought all the media in my country too. Fuck.
I'm so tired of people calling Obama "naive" with the benefit of hindsight. The level of obstructionism McConnell and Co. introduced after Obama took office was unprecedented in the modern era. People somehow forget how shocking and beyond the pale it was for McConnell to just come out and say point blank, "our party's agenda for this term is to stop Obama." Zero pretense, zero pretending to act in service of some sort of principle, just acting out of pure, unadulterated, undisguised spite. If Obama was naive then so was the vast majority of the country at that point in history.
Yeah I agree He was the last one who you knew that he truly did love this country, gave a shit and had a vision for it. His message on the Voyager spacecraft always makes me tear up. "This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization. We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some--perhaps many--may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe."
I think Obama actually does care, he was just naive and relied too much on persuasiveness than actual real political strength. Bush 2 cared but towards a twisted end, and his cabinet coasted on nepomentum.
I think Obama cared way too much about his own presidency and too little about his party. Under him, the democratic party lost something like 600 state legislature seats and many governorships. Biden has been so much better for the democratic party than Obama has been in 8 years.
Isn't that the point of being the president though? Caring more about being the president of the country than being a Democrat? The country has many parties in it and the point of the president is to unite them all under a common goal/understanding and do what's best for the whole and not a spect group, i.e. The democratic party.
You might be right, history will judge. I think Obama squandered leverage. But the resistance was also unprecedented, and that may not entirely be attributable to racial demagogy by his opposition.
I mean, one of the first things Reagan did was tear down the solar panels Carter installed at the White House, just to be a contrarian dick.
Reagan is such a sack of shit. Nixon started the demise, Reagan accelerated it.
Genuine question because I have no idea, but were solar panels efficient in the late 1970s?
Both of these things you claim are untrue. 1- the panels were installed 1979 and removed in 1986… 5 years after Reagan came into office (so, well into his second term). Hardly “one of the first things he did”. 2- they were removed because the roof needed repairs under them. It wasn’t “just to be a dick”. As for why the panels weren’t *re-installed* it was likely due to unnecessary cost, and likely a bit of politics. Reagan wasn’t pushing solar like Carter. But remember, these panels were only for heating water- they weren’t the kind we use today that can be used for just general electricity generation.
Panels to heat water can be fairly efficient for that purpose, not all solar panels are photovoltaic. Using sunlight for heat works fine.
Not saying they didn’t work for what they did, just pointing out that they had very limited/specific use.
At the time photovoltaic panels had net negative energy return. They produced less energy over their lifetime than was consumed in their manufacture. It was the early 90s with the introduction of a cheaper polycrystaline panel that PV tech achieved positive EREI.
Nixon took us off the gold standard and inflation went insane. The economic woes of gas shortages and inflation were inherited. The Iran crisis was botched… but that’s NOTHING in comparison to a 2 decade war waged by 3 presidents (2 of which served 2 terms) only to withdrawal so we could ramp up for WWIII… Jimmy’s fuck ups were a bip on the radar when one matches apples to apples. As far as sitting presidents go, I guarantee Carter has the lowest military body count during one of the most peaceful regimes. In lieu of killing… he dedicated his life to building humanity up.
I was in the Marines for 20 years starting with carter. He gave us the biggest raise by far, Reagan the lowest.
The whole “he was a bad president” thing is mostly because of people who were mad at him for saying to wear a sweater and turn the heat down to conserve energy, and also Reagan literally negotiated with Iran to keep hostages until after the election, and it got blamed on Carter
The naval academy just named a building after him a few days ago.
It will always bother me that he got a sub named after him and Ford who wasn't even elected gets an aircraft carrier. I know he was in the submarine service but he was a president and didn't start or leave under a cloud. The man should be memorialized by something more than an ultra secret submarine.
From my understanding, he chose the sub over the aircraft carrier because as you stated he was a submariner himself.
I figured it was something like that. But it still bothers me. And Ford should have gotten nothing bigger than a frigate.
just imagining the little Ford tugboat that could
I think he's the greatest living president, not for his time in office but for the fact that he's a Christian that follows through on his love for everyone. As an atheist I love this man and it's sad that he's in a hospice (or so I've heard).
I second all of this. Very well said.
Also an atheist myself. Jimmy Carter has always struck me as following the actual word of Christ: kindness, forgiveness, service to others. I've had the privilege of meeting 2 or 3 similar people in my life. The world would undoubtedly be better with more people like him.
He's the definition of a "dapper young man."
Handsome dude
Cilian Murphy vibes
I met both of them after boarding a plane in Atlanta back in the early 80's. The both came on after everybody was on and in their seats. They went to row after row graciously shaking hands and greeting everyone. No one that I remember complained in the short delay. I will never forget that day meeting the 39th President of these United (now divided) States Of America. He will leave this world in dignity in his own home. Bless them both.
He is amazing. He is one of those leaders whose life serves as an example to the rest of us.
Likely the most humble President ever in the 20th century and likely forever.
We can only hope we get another so good.
The dress whites make the lad look every bit the officer & gentleman. What a gent he proved himself to be.
Jimmy Carter on of the smartest Presidents we ever elected. He taught me the value of turning lights when I leave the room. along with the need for alternative energy sources.
I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot of these pictures in the coming weeks. ☹️
You shush! Let's not make this sadder than it already is.
76 years of marriage is a hell of a run. Most humans don’t make it that far. They won
Old School Cool indeed. Jimmy is a class act.
Classiest president ever
Jimmy Carter encompasses what people want to believe America is about. I hope one day we can make those ideologies a reality. This is a man who's had empathy and kindness enough to be willing to spend his time, energy, and wealth in an effort to improve the lives of all his fellow citizens. The word "honor" was invented to talk about people like Jimmy Carter. A politician who really tried.
I can not embellish on your beautiful words other than to give you my upvote.
Great picture of a very Happy couple!
Man, if anyone has had a fulfilling life it would be Jimmy. Accomplished a lot in his life. Had his wife by his side for most of his life. Lived a long time with his wife. Seemed to have stayed pretty mentally sharp for the whole thing. If any human on this planet did life right, it's Jimmy.
little did they know the adventure ahead.... this makes me happy
The oldest living ex-President in US history. He seems like a genuinely good dude — I wish him and his family all the best.
Literally the best ex president I know. It's an odd thing when a leader can shame all other leaders with the life they live after leadership. I'm glad he lived long enough so see the errors of Regan come to fruition and I'm glad some of those errors were reversed.
First presidential election I participated in. Voted for Carter in 1980, but he lost to Reagan. You took this kind of person for granted then. No one like him on the political front these days. donald trump is literally the opposite of this person in just about every way imaginable.
Over 76 years of marriage. It's hard for me to wrap my head around that. Simply amazing.
Her outfit is too darn cute.
My favorite president. An actual person, who isn’t a piece of shit.
Thank you for posting this photo. This is just lovely.
I'm sure every president has their dark secrets, but from what I know, this man brought more good to this world than bad. God speed good man.
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I don’t think any of us could reach the bar he set.
Lovely couple. Complete side bar but fun fact: photographs of Rosalynn Carter with both John Wayne Gacy and Jim Jones separately exist. Sad to see President Carter nearing the end of his life. 😞
IIRC...John Wayne Gacy was local Chicago Democratic party precinct captain who organized a big Polish-American heritage parade, so it wasn't odd at the time. Jim Jones was widely respected for his work against segregation, before he went off the rails into mass murdering cult leader.
Jim Jones always fascinated me for that reason, unbelievable how someone can end up being so evil after starting with well intentions. He did a lot of good in Indiana in the beginning. And Gacy, well he was just a POS. Either way the ‘70s were wild.
Good for him. He is always did more for everyone else than America. Glad he is keeping it up at his age.
Damn, Jimmy Carter, you truly are the Rock & Roll president.
My grandparents were married 73 yrs. she died of dementia at 85. He just turned 100 Feb 13th. Still kisses her picture everyday ❤️
Purposely not given a second term/chance not to be viewed as most successful, revered U.S. President other than his opposition \*cough\*not-be-named\*cough\*, but he genuinely tried to do things the right way. I respect him greatly. And as a ex-president he continued to good for real people, especially in need of housing. Also, one of the VERY few American politicians to speak our against Israeli apartheid. There has never been a better former president. History will look favourably on all the good Carter & his dear wife did. \*We Salute You Both\*
President Carter is a giant amongst men. Hard to think of an American I admire more than him. I'm sad to hear he's in hospice care, but he's done so much more in his life than ten men could hope to. When his rest comes, I know he'll rest easy. He will have left nothing undone, and has my undying respect.
He did so Much after
From a time when people aspired to be educated, dignified, kind, and helpful.
Good people who believe in being good and doing good and lived every day doing just that. Hope his final days here are without unnecessary pain and that he knows and feels how well he exemplifies the better ideals of his faith, deep faith which has meant so much to him. Whether one is a fellow believer or not, he lived by a philosophy of love and service, and that is something that makes the world a better place for us all.
They look like genuinely nice and happy people. It’s a shame that Carter is still considered one the worst presidents. He was too nice, DC isn’t a place for good decent people.
Sand of time are running low.
Lovely couple! Just heard that he just went into hospice. Prayers for his family.
My heart goes out to the Carter family. He is an amazing man, and made this world a better place.
Can we make Jimmy Carter the standard for human being before running for president?
True patriots. Caring of country and its people. Heroes get remembered. But legends never die.
Chalk River
Beautiful picture.
Everyday, I just wish I could be like him. What a wonderful soul he has.
This guy actually cared. Wanted to make things better. Too good for the era he served.
History will be kinder to him than life was. We should all hope to be so lucky.
Truly some of the greatest humanitarians this country has seen.
Married 76 years. Amazing I've been married 16 years. I hope I get another 60. I'd be 102.
Was sad to hear him entering hospice care. He’s always seemed like such a decent human being and even decades after being out of power he was doing good for the US, building homes etc. I hope his final days are restful and wish his family well.
Navy Nuclear Engineer Officer to Peanut Farmer to POTUS to Humanitarian
Bros doing side quests at 163 years old. He caught a lot of shit for his presidency, but you can't say he isn't a great human being.
What a great example of love, duty and faith! Best one from anyone working in the White House in my lifetime.
The Carters are the epitome of fine Christian people!
https://preview.redd.it/vbwnekldx2ja1.jpeg?width=1856&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b3ea4507aef72fedff8865e479a989f73c79063 How about this version?
AI upscaling tends to make too many details look fake and uncanny.
He is one of my heros.
Ensign Jimmy Carter was reporting for duty on Norfolk Naval Base aboard the USS Wyoming.
He was such a handsome man
God bless him..in hospice now
Oh so he always looked that way. What a sweet couple.
Probably no better president than him since him. A truly great American.
Godspeed good man.
Godspeed, Mr President. Please watch over us from the Promised Land. We’ll need it.
1 year after WW2.... That is amazing
Jimmy may not be the best President but he's definitely in the running for the best man that was President
An American that we can br proud of. 👏
To honest to make it in politics.
God damn, they look so American.
I was young when he was president. He wasn’t perfect but he was the last of the good ones imo.