(sex) 101 of fights, just like any other couple. We disagree on some issues and we try to our best to understand each other. Communication was our toughest hurdle. There were some issues that I wasn’t always truthful about and there were some things that he would leave out. We had to grow up and understand that this relationship won’t make it if we don’t try. For a while, I still wanted to live life like a young, single 21 year old should, but I had to realize that that wasn’t the case anymore. I needed my own wake Donnell graduated from college up call and I had to see the pain I was in 2007 and that simple fact pushes inflicting on Donnell. In a relationship, me to do better. He’s my ultimate each person will have to change some motivation. Not only does he push things about themselves in order to me to take the next step and to go make that relationship work. Though far but he also finds ways to help we tend to learn from our past experime along the way. I know that the ences, we have to learn how to not let those experiences overrun your current opposite is true when it comes to me. I feel like I have been able to relationships. I am very thankful for Donnell being teach Donnell a lot about who he is in my life. He has taught me a lot about as well. I think I have been able to teach Donnell a lot about patience. who I am, both good and bad. DonI have also been able to really help nell has been very honest with me in him with compromising. The both several ways and he’s been very open. He tells me what things I do that affect of us have been able to learn from each other about what things we him and us. (I have a lot of respect for should compromise on and what a man that will be real with me and that will be honest about what I do that things we have to understand about each other. “There annoys him.) “Like any are something’s about her Donnell is very sup- normal couple, and her personality that I portive of me in every- we both found thing that I do. I have the flaws that we wasn’t comfortable with so I had to learn how to coma lot of hobbies and he could not stand promise on certain things shows a genuine inter- in the other person and we est in everything that I had to find some while still staying true to myself,” Donnell said. Like like to do. He reads all sort of middle any normal couple, we of my articles, encour- ground to both found the flaws that ages me to finish overcome the differences.” we could not stand in the school, and he inspires other person and we had to me. 84 JAYE | AUGUST 2009
find some sort of middle ground to overcome the differences. I guess I never really thought about where our relationship would go in the future. I knew that Donnell was someone that I wanted in my life and I didn’t know what to think about it. After a short while, Donnell met my family, and they absolutely loved him. He spends a lot of time with my parents and my father, playing golf and talking sports. I’ve been to Dallas a few times to meet his entire family, his two brothers, his sister-in-laws, his grandparents and his extended family. I really love the connections we’ve made with our families, it’s a wonderful experience. His families already call me sister-in-law, and his parents love me. Coming from past relationships where our families clashed or my parents weren’t very happy with my choices for boyfriends, it’s very refreshing to be with someone they like. And at this point, I honestly couldn’t see my life without him. He is my rock. Donnell and I are still learning from each other about life and love. ■