On Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017, the Naija social mediascape was abuzz with pictures, tweets, Instagram posts, and memes. And it was all thanks to Olubankole Wellington and Adesua Etomi. The two lovebirds revealed they had gotten engaged back in February 2017. And with this announcement came a flood of goodwill messages for the celebs. From co-stars on The Wedding Party to friends and fans, everyone had nothing but the best wishes for the couple.
While we were all oohing and awwing over the good news, I hope also that we were paying attention to the insights we could learn from their love story.
1. God first
Enough said.
2. Friendship
This couple decided to pursue friendship before all else. Friendship is always a good foundation for marriage because you get to the heart, the core, the essence of the person you are dealing with.
When considering a marriage/life partner, it is not just about the feel-good, mushy, romantic feelings. Both your values, principles, life’s purpose must be aligned. And with friendship as the backdrop, both of you can let your guard down and be yourselves with each other. This then paves the way for acceptance, understanding, and intimacy.
3. Privacy
Your relationship does not have to be splattered all over social media for it to be real and receive the stamp of approval.
Too many people these days get caught up in the hype on social media – the need to put your life on display. You can take a cue from the successfully married A-list Hollywood couples – they do not reside in Hollywood where the paparazzi frenzy is at its peak. They live in New York and other locations, away from prying eyes.
Take the time to nurture and build your relationship before you go public with the fruits of your labour (at the right time).
4. Support system
Surrounding yourselves with the right people is also important.
These are the things that struck me when I read their love notes to each other on Instagram. And I do pray they continue in this might.
Please bear in mind that each relationship is unique as it is the coming together of 2 unique individuals but with God at the centre, and love and friendship as the foundation, you are both off to a pretty good start.
I am truly happy for Banky and Adesua and I wish them nothing but increasing peace, love and joy in their union.
And even as I write this, Banky W’s song Made for You is playing on the radio…talk about fate.