
Listen, I don’t know what it is about the song “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green, but it makes me want to daydream of myself swaying on a beach with a glass of wine with the love of my life haha. Don’t mind me and my imagination; it’s just when I think of legacy couples, love, and marriage I think of that song. Wedding season is approaching quickly as the weather warms up and the world settles into a new normal pace of life. We see people posting online their marriage announcements, finally having the in-person weddings that they eagerly waited years to host, and some simply embracing the elopement marriage style. Either way, couples everywhere are tying the knot, and I am here for it!
If you haven’t noticed by now, you should probably know that I’m a hopeless romantic. I love, love! And let me be clear, a “hopeless romantic” isn’t what it sounds like on the surface- someone who’s hopeless about love. No, that’s not what it is exactly. In fact, Bree Jenkins, a dating coach and licensed therapist with over 12 years of clinical experience, defines a hopeless romantic as “someone who is more susceptible to falling in love and gets carried away in their romantic feelings.” So yeah, like I said…I love, love on all spectrums, and of course, it can be good and bad at times.
What I admire even more about love and couples are the stories of legacy marriages. Marriages that last and share the realistic moments- good, bad, and ugly- that they intentionally worked through to stay together. Why? Well maybe because of all the fairytale movies I watched growing up but also because I haven’t witnessed many marriages lasting in my lifetime. I’m only 26, and sadly I’ve been to more funerals than weddings. So I have a desire to see healthy love, marriages, and commitments between couples and families.
How We’ve Kept the Love Alive After Three Decades of Marriage
Our Marriage is Proof the Grass is Greener Where You Water It
How ‘Black Love’ Really Helped My Marriage
That’s why hearing stories of legacy couples is inspiring and heartwarming because they remind me that I’m worthy of the love I’ve always dreamed of and prayed for. Stories like Bennie and Pauline who met as teenagers is of them. His persistence and pursuit of her was everything for me!
Pauline & Bennie’s Love Story
“They met at the age of 15 or 16 while my dad was pushing his nephew in his stroller. My mom came out and was playing with the baby. My dad was smitten and kept coming on her street everyday to see her! He walked her home from choir rehearsal one night and they kissed.They married at 19 and had five daughters and 10 grandkids. They are now “both are retired and living a great life in Mississippi!” —Bennie & Pauline’s granddaughter
Then there are stories like Mr. and Mrs. AJ Rivers. Mr. Rivers was already dating someone in Mrs. Rivers’s neighborhood at the time that they met but as time passed by he realized his love for her and they eventually fell in love. Seventy-five years later, ages 94 and 96, they still accentuate the importance of their friendship and commitment to their children as to how they’ve stayed together.
Mrs. & Mr. AJ Rivers’ Love Story
“My grandfather dated someone in my grandmother’s neighborhood. He’d give her letters to deliver to his love interest, but she had a crush on him and kept them instead. Once my grandmother grew up, he realized he had eyes for her. They have been married for 75 years and are 94 and 96 years old. My grandmother was the first black woman to work a counter in downtown Cordele, GA and my grandfather would later be the first black city commissioner in 1972 (with a klansman as his campaign manager). They were profiled in a magazine years ago and cited their underlying friendship and commitment to their children as how they’ve stayed together for so long.” —Granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. AJ Rivers
When my dad got married in 2014, that was one of the first weddings I remember fully experiencing from start to finish—from the planning to the wedding prep festivities, being involved in the entire process, to seeing my dad and bonus mom happily in love until this day. It wasn’t easy for them and was one hell of a process, but I’m grateful and happy I was able to witness love in a front-row seat so I can take notes.
In times when toxic relationship trends online can cloud my desires for healthy love, legacy marriage stories like this remind me that Black love can be and is healthy, attainable, and long-lasting despite all the outside noise. Transparently speaking, seeing the news of divorces and breakups online often makes me feel like I have to be hyper-vigilant in my relationship and dating life, so I don’t end up in the same boat. I often wonder if other Black women can relate to having a fear of not finding love and having a fear of it not being a long-lasting, safe commitment in today’s age. Some days I catch myself being afraid to make simple decisions or trying to avoid mistakes out of fear of “missing the red flags” but the stories shared through “Black Love” and the couples who share are a living example that love and commitment don’t have to be a struggle like some of the mainstream Black movies and television shows portray. Of course, love and commitment require time, patience, selflessness, and sacrifice, but it’s not impossible to attain that love that leaves a legacy.
Sending a huge shout-out to these couples for inspiring us all to love and stay together! To see the full post, head to our Instagram and continue to keep your eyes open for stories like this! Do you know any legacy couples? If so, share them in the comments below fam!
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