Black Love Series: Yaz & Lord Are Best Friends First
Black love is contagious. When you see the way we glow when we wear love on our skin, it's truly inspiring. Continuing in the spirit of liberation through love, Yaz and Lord are such an amazing representation of teamwork and what it looks like when you date your best friend. Four years strong, they share their love story with us:
How did you meet and what were your initial thoughts?
We met originally at the Regatta downtown but it was nothing other than 'hello'. A few months later, he messaged me on Instagram and that’s where it really started.
Lord: My first thought was that I liked her, and I had to make her mine.
Yaz: I thought he was really cute but he might be a player so I played it cool.
When did you realize you wanted more than a friendship?
Yaz: I knew from our very first phone conversation. We spoke from the evening until the next morning. I never experienced talking to someone for hours and hours and never getting bored. I never wanted to stop getting to know him.
Lord: I knew when we were supposed to go to the movies, on #MartinLutherKingJr Day in 2014. She told me she needed affection and attention. That’s when I realized I had to step it up and what I was doing... “talking” wasn’t enough.
Favorite things about each other?
Yaz: My favorite thing about him is his strength. He’s resilient, selfless and unstoppable. No matter what he keeps going.
Lord: I love her laugh and her drive. She truly inspires me. She’s caring and always thinks about everybody.
First date memories?
Yaz: I never laughed so much in my life! He made me so comfortable, yet I was so nervous. One funny moment was when he went to the bathroom and I told the waitress it was his birthday. So they brought out his dessert, and I accidentally spilled the ice cream on his pants!! Lol it was hilariously embarrassing but he laughed it off and we continued our date.
Lord: When I initially walked up to her, she was so nervous that she turned around. Lol We had so much fun though. That was one of the best days.
How do you show each other love and support?
We always push each other. We don’t skip a beat. No matter what it is we are by the other’s side and cheering them on.
How do you build together?
Yaz: I like art, poetry, anything artistic.. and he supports that and enjoys it with me.
Lord: I enjoy sports, and she got us game tickets. She watches games with me and even plays the game with me sometimes. So one way we build together is by supporting the other, stepping out of our comfort zone, and always dating.
When things get tough, how do you work through your problems?
We’re honestly still figuring this out. When in the midst of an argument, we often take some time to ourselves, which is usually not more than 20 minutes. We reflect and then we come back together and discuss what went wrong - and what we could have done to have a better outcome. Other times, one person will try to change the tone and bring up something positive.
Yaz: He’ll usually say something silly or something really sweet that brings us back together and his positive energy is what makes our foundation strong even in tough times.
First time you met each others family? How important is family in your relationship?
We met one another’s family about a year after we began dating. Values and family are extremely important to us.
Yaz: I love and adore his family and the love is mutual. We are both extremely family oriented so we are blessed to have family that loves and supports us individually and as a couple. His family is my family. I can call them if I’m in need, and it’s the same for him. They are my real bonus family and blood couldn’t make us any stronger.
Lord: I also love her family. I’ve never really been close with a girl’s family before because I was never really the “relationship type” but with her it’s different. I went to her family reunion over the summer and she joined me in attending a wedding for my family. These were milestones for us. Being around one another’s family doesn’t feel forced or uncomfortable, it feels natural. Family is everything to us.
How did your past relationships and experiences prepare you for this one?
Yaz: For both of us this is our first real relationship. We haven’t had much dating experience. Therefore, nothing has really prepared us for this one. We, or at least I had no idea we would get this far. We began dating when I was 17 and I’ll be 21, in August. So, a lot of what we’ve learned about relationships has been through our own experience.
Advice for other people in relationships or looking for love??
Lord: Make sure you give 100% effort in every aspect of the relationship if you really want to see growth. You have to trust the process. Be responsible for your actions.
Yaz: Love yourself first because the way you feel about yourself will reflect in your relationships. Communicate, never stop communicating.
