Sunday, August 21, 2011

Happy 18th Anniversary to Us!!!

Then....August 21st, 1993
 Now....
Who knew on a fateful day 19 years ago while driving up the 805 freeway in San Diego, my life would change forever?!  http://themanyshadesoflove.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-heck-did-you-two-meet-i-mean-she.html  That was the day I "met" my hubby, and our future was set in motion.  The story still blows my mind!   

Now, flash forward to today...August 21st, 2011...our 18th wedding anniversary.  It's hard to believe that so much time has gone by since that first day we saw each other on the freeway.  We have been through so much together and have come so far, and neither one of us would have ever imagined that we would be where we are today.  We are best friends, shoulders for each other, lovers, parents, partners, soulmates, and so much more.  There are days when we laugh, there are days when we cry, and there are days when we want to "strangle" each other, but there is never, ever a day that goes by that we don't love each other completely.  We don't take each other for granted and we realize how lucky and blessed we are to have each other. 

Time has changed circumstances, but time has not changed us.  We are more in love today than the day we got married.  There is a deepness to that love that only time, heartache, life, happiness, and challenges can bring.  It's the "getting through" and the "making it out" of the dark times that has truly allowed us to embrace the "bright times" with joy. 

I love my husband not just with all my heart, but deep down to my soul.  We just fit so very perfectly, while also being so very different.  It's hard to even explain. 

So today, on our 18th anniversary, I want to say thank you, for the most amazing, life altering, wonderful, 18 years!  I love you Jamie J....happy, happy anniversary!  Here's to many, many more!  We rock! 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Build Your Life!



Lately I’ve seen question after question on various interracial websites about what couples should do when family members don’t accept their interracial relationship. My answer to this is…..don’t be afraid to build a life together because you’re worried about what other people think of your relationship. Jamie and I never would have made it past dating had we listened to everyone else’s opinions about us. Here we are 19 years later, with a beautiful daughter and an amazing life!

I’m so disturbed about some of the stories I’ve seen in the news or heard from friends lately, that sometimes I feel like we are actually moving backwards when it comes to race relations. Just the other day there was a story on the news about a man who had his daughter sign a contract that stated she would not date any black men, felons, or gangsters, and if she did he would kill them. Kill them?! Really!? First of all, the fact that he lumped black men in the same category as felons and gangsters, like ALL black men fall into these categories, is stereotyping at its worst. The contract itself was twisted enough, but when the daughter actually ended up dating a black man, her father posted dead or alive posters with the boyfriend’s information and picture on them! Well, karma is a “you know what,” and Daddy is now in prison for 7 years! Clearly this is an extreme case of racial family issues, but I hear time and time again of families that will automatically disown their children if they date outside their race. How do you disown your own child? Better yet, why would you want to? Disowning someone because of the skin color of the person they love? Seriously? Why? Does this “skin color” beat your child? Does this “skin color” treat your child horribly? Or does this “skin color” love your child with all “its” heart? Last time I checked skin color doesn’t hurt people, people do.

Jamie and I have lived through it all when it comes to racism, and there were days, when trust me, I didn’t think the tears would stop because of some of the racial issues we had to deal with, but now, here we are, happier, stronger and more in love than ever. We love us, we love our life and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We never allowed circumstances or people to divide us or destroy our love. In fact, just the opposite, our strength comes from all we have had to deal with throughout the years and at this point we are Mr. and Mrs. Universe we are so freakin’ strong!  Nothing and no one can come between us….ever!

Now, back to YOU…..whatever you do….don’t be afraid to build YOUR life! Go….now….start today. Here’s to your future and here’s to your love….today, tomorrow and forever!