Timothy and Earnestine Tolbert Celebrate 70th Birthdays
Tim and Earnestine Tolbert recently celebrated their 70th birthdays at a celebration held at City Flats Hotel, located at 83 Monroe Center St. in down town Grand Rapids on Saturday, July 8, 2023.
In this interview with the Grand Rapids Times, Earnestine Tolbert talks about her birthday celebration, important lessons she has learned, the glue that holds her marriage together, teacher their children life lessons and more.
GRT: How did your special evening go and about how many people attended the event?
Tolbert: It was just a beautiful evening. Very beautiful, we were very pleased to have had about one hundred people at the event. I always tell people jokingly that I married and older man because my husband is four months older than I am. My I was born on July 11, 1953 and her husband Timothy was born April 2, 1953.
GRT: How long have you been married?
Tolbert: We have been married for fourty-six years this past June twenty-fifth. It was also my dad James Allen's 93rd birthday, so we were also celebrating his birthday as well.
GRT: What is one of the most valuable lessons you have learned in your 70 years on this earth?
Tolbert: Don't put off today for tomorrow. Live today, cherish your days on this earth and don't sweat the small stuff. All the material stuff is not worth it. To gain the whole world and not live your live and be happy.
GRT: This has to be special for you because you are an eleven year cancer survivor.
Tolbert: They didn't give me any certain length of time to leave or any thing but they told me that I had a rare type of cancer that was called triple negative. They didn't know a lot about triple negative breast cancer. I didn't have any hormone derived with my cancer so the only thing they had to treat me with was chemotherapy and radiation. This type of cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women but God saw fit to still have some more work for me to do on this earth and I am over joyed to still be here. I am just thankful and I continue to praise God. I know he has the button and the number of years that he has allotted me when I came into this world but I am praying that I that number is a long way off. With my Dad being ninety-three years old, I told the Lord that I know that I have the genes so I want to live as long as he has lived and more. Don't push that button on me.
GRT: What is the glue that has held your marriage together?
Tolbert: Prayer and compromise. Respecting each other and keeping the peace is important. Go with the flow and love one another as you love yourself.
GRT: What is one of the most valuable life lessons you have taught your three daughters Tiffany, Teenisha and Dolly?
Tolbert: One of the most important things that I we taught our daughters is that they do not have to depend on anyone but the Lord. I kept them and raised them and put them through college. They have good college educations and putting God first in their lives is one of the most important things that we instilled in our daughters. Letting him lead them and guide them in their lives and not forgetting where they came from. We also instilled in them not to forget about the people who helped you to be able to get to where they are today. Never get so big that you can't come back and give back. Spending time, listening and showing people that you care is also an important lesson we taught our children.
GRT: Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
Tolbert: I am just thanking God everyday that he has allowed me to see three scores and ten and I am thank him that he has allowed me to see it. If I don't see another day, I can say thank you Lord because he has been good to me and my family, so I just can't stop giving him praise.
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