6 Years of Living Black Love - and Counting!

No, that's not how long this blog has been around. It's the number of years some good friends of ours have been married. They celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary this past Saturday. Johnny and I, along with another couple, were there to help them celebrate.

We enjoyed a meal and a show at The Carlyle Club in Alexandria, VA. The show, which featured the music of Gerald LeVert, Teddy Pendergrass, and Barry White was put on by a company called Mad Jazz Poetry Productions. It was a really good time and the food was grrreat! On a side note, I'd love to take my mother to one of their shows whenever she comes to visit - she'd really enjoy it. Unfortunately, we have no pictures. Sadly, we had forgotten the camera in the car.

Getting back to the point...congrats to Mr. and Mrs. P on their 6th anniversary! Wishing you both many more - you deserve all the happiness in the world.

Game Night

If you spent your time listening to all the media hype, you'd believe that all Black women are single, searching for a "good Black man". You'd think that Black men don't want to be married. Excuse my french, but I think that's B.S.

A huge part of the inspiration for this blog are the married couples Johnny and I know. Whenever we spend time with our married friends, we leave feeling excited, encouraged, and recommitted to one another.

We recently attended a game night outing with seven other couples who are Living Black Love. Check out some of the pictures from that night. They are proof that Black love is alive and well.

Love Doesn't Always Last

I just learned that a colleague of mine is in the midst of a divorce. She and her soon-to-be ex-husband had been Living Black Love for 10-plus years. I'm always sad when marriages break up. I wish everyone could experience love and happiness forever, but we have to be realistic - it doesn't always work out that way.

I don't think any married person will deny that marriage is hard work. So let's take this as a reminder to love and enjoy our spouses, every minute of every day.

Honey, Can You Paint My Toes?

Earlier this week, I suffered from a case of naked toenails. I rarely ever go to the nail salon so I usually just paint my own. In recent weeks, I've realized I need to add toenail painting to the ever-growing list of things you can't do while pregnant (that list also includes eating lunch meat, sleeping, and breathing, among other things). So I came up with a great idea - to have Johnny paint my naked toes for me! At the very least, I thought it would be a great way to spend some quality time together.

When I asked, he obliged without hesitation, thought it took him a few days (and some complaining from me) to actually get to the job. But eventually, he painted these tootsies of mine! I taught him the proper technique for achieving a smooth finish, as well as the importance of a topcoat. I have to say, I may have micro-managed the process a little too much - but as with everything in our lives, Johnny was very patient with me.

In the end, he was a little unsure of himself and his potential as a master toe painter, but I am very pleased with the final product. I'm also happy to have a hubby who is there for every part of this pregnancy - even the parts that involve feet. Now that's Living Black Love.

Don't Call it a Comeback

We fell off. It's been well over a year since Living Black Love's last post and the only excuse I have is my teaching job. I started my first year as a teacher last August, and in about a month, I embark on year two. I think it's truly the hardest thing I've ever done. So...that's why I haven't posted since early '09. I've been consumed with getting accepted to my teaching program, training to be a teacher, and actually teaching a classroom of eight and nine year-olds. And since June 16th (teachers' last day of school), I've been taking a break from it all. So, that's my excuse. I hope you buy it. And as you wait patiently for our next post, know that Johnny and I have been Living Black Love the whole time we were gone (really living - we have a baby on the way!).

Shouting Out My Black Love

I just have to give a shout out to my hubby. I am in the middle of a long, somewhat stressful week and he (as always) has just been so loving and supportive that I had to take a minute to acknowledge him.

I am in the process of doing what I need to do to become a teacher - taking a class so that I have enough credits to teach elementary school, taking another class so I can pass the exams that are part of the certification process, and trying to be a good "housewife" in the midst of it all (my temp job recently ended and I've been at home ever since).

I walked in last night from one of my classes, apparently looking overwhelmed, and one of the first things he said to me was "I will help you study for both tests, and you will pass". Even though I was a little stand-offish towards him last night, he cracked jokes, left me a silly voicemail message, and danced and sang - all to make me feel better. I am truly Living Black Love, and as he would say, "luuuvin' it!".

An Expert Opinion

Recently, Johnny and I were leaving Target - we were walking back to the car, and this woman, an older lady said to me, "Smile, honey". She commented about how Johnny had this big cheese grin and how I was frowning. Her comment made me chuckle inside, because he is always getting on my case about me not smiling. We can be anywhere, and he'll see that I "don't look happy", and he'll tell me to smile. The thing is, sometimes when I'm not smiling, I just happen to look like I'm frowning. My mother has told similar stories of random people asking about her grin, or a lack thereof. So, I just chalk my little "issue" up to heredity. I just have one of those faces (like my mother) that appears to be un-happy when I'm not smiling. It doesn't mean that I'm actually unhappy, it just means that I'm not smiling.

Now, back to the woman in the Target parking lot. She said, "Young lady", and I answered, "Yes?" - she told me that she is a widow, and that I shouldn't take my husband for granted. She also talked about the shortage of good Black men. Unfortunately, I don't remember all the details of the conversation, but the one part of this woman's talk that really touched me was the fact that she's a widow.

First, I was sad for her; then I was sad for me; then I just felt stupid for not smiling in the first place. But as I listened to the woman, I was near tears - in part because in that moment she saw Johnny's value more clearly than I did, but also because I saw just how important her husband - her Black husband was to her. The love they shared was so important, in fact, that she wanted to make sure random ole' me knew just how lucky I am to have a man - one with joy, and that signature "Johnny grin" in his face.

Those few minutes were like a scene out of a movie - you know, the moment that changes the lead character's life forever. It was really one of the most meaningful moments of my life. I was truly touched, and changed. I hope to have thoughts of that woman and what she said to me years from now, just as a reminder of how precious my marriage is.

The love we share with our spouses is such a blessing, but sometimes we forget to cherish every moment. Sometimes we take our love for granted. I just pray that this woman's story of Living Black Love remain in your minds and hearts forever.