When I got engaged we set a date the same day lol.
My husband Keith was still in college, and I was working at a call center making about $11 a hour.
The hurt, bitter, lonely, know it all people, tried to give their “words of wisdom” about why our love should wait for a better financial situation.
Yet we planned a wedding to happen a little over a year later, with my parents help.
Keith graduated from college with no job or prospects about 2 weeks before our wedding.
And because we would have it no other way, our wedding was magical.
Full of love between us, family, and friends. It’s still the best wedding we’ve ever been to.
We’re bias, sue us! Lol
After spending our wedding night in a beautiful hotel room, we stopped at Winn-Dixie for groceries, and headed home. No honeymoon, just home.
We spent that week chilling, loving each other, and getting used to our new normal.
We was married nah!
And from there it was tough financially. We literally had the money people gifted us from our wedding and my paycheck.
We lived in a family home that my in-laws graciously let us stay in, but it was still tough.
I was working my big girl job making 34,000 and some change, and Keith was trying to find his way. He worked several jobs, but eventually took a job as a substitute teacher.
We had no living room furniture, no central air, only us and bedroom furniture and kitchen appliances.
I remember later that year being so excited to be able to purchase our first sofa in cash.
We had moments when our account was dangerously low, we couldn’t buy the latest fashions, and even groceries were a stretch.
Funny thing is, now 10 years later I can’t remember us fighting, or feeling like being with each other was a mistake, or that I could have better with someone else.
All I remember was the love.
I remember feeling like there’s got to be more to life than this, and when it comes I want it with him.
We learned early that money didn’t matter in love. Did it make life a hell of lot easier, yes indeed!
But it didn’t make us happy. Our love for each other was and still remains to be our super power.
I learned to be patient, compassionate, resourceful with what we had in the moment.
And just like I knew, it got better.
Keith got his big boy job. We had a baby. We got more furniture. We had more celebrations. We had another baby. We bought a house. We didn’t fall, we rose up in spite of it all.
But it was all because we led with LOVE!
Can you imagine being broke and mad…not good.
Anyways, Valentines day is done, but our efforts to love the ones who love us should be forever. Let’s give and accept love always. Love is not boastful or load, it simply is.
When we allow love to be our driving force magical things start to happen.
So many people seem to be seeking validation from outside people and things and miss the opportunity to have a love that can heal all.
And that’s #WeekendISH
Soften your heart, and live in love