
How These High School Sweethearts Knew They Were Destined To Be Together

In xoNecole's Our First Year series, we take an in-depth look at love and relationships between couples with an emphasis on what their first year of marriage was like.
Imagine knowing your soulmate at the young age of 15 and 16 and then actually marrying them almost a decade later. Sounds like a fairytale, right? Well that is the reality for married couple Amir and Vava Celestin.
The co-creators of Nou Nou Home met, fell in love, and were living the perfect high school romance. He was an athlete, she was a dancer, and after an initial meeting in the halls of their high school, the two were inseparable. Valentine day teddy bears, dancing at his basketball games, and even ending their high school journey together at prom, Vava and Amir lived out the epitome of young love. But after a year and a half of dating, their high school romance sadly fizzled out and as senior year came to an end, so did their relationship.
As the two separately entered new phases of their lives, in completely different states, it was clear that the love they shared was real and they never did completely let each other go. "Although we were in different states, we always found a way to keep in touch, walk down memory lane or even attempt to rekindle our old flame from time to time," Vava revealed. "But things never stuck. The flame would always fizzle out. But, we always felt like our relationship was unfinished business. We repeated that cycle for seven years."
Seven years filled with never ending on and off dating cycles, Amir and Vava did eventually get it right, and chose to live the life they knew they were destined for. While those years apart were difficult, Amir now believes that they were necessary for the love and marriage they share today.
"The years we spent apart were good for us, individually," he said. "We got a chance to live life a little, make mistakes, have a few heartbreaks, and reckless nights ---but not at the expense of one another. Our time apart kept our love from being tainted with bad memories and heartache. By the time we reconnected we both were content and just wanted a genuine bond with a beautiful soul."
Nearly a decade after their initial meeting in that hallway, Amir and Vava wed in July of 2016, proving that there is truth to the old saying, "What is meant to be, will be." This is their story.
The One
Vava: At ages 15 and 16, we always talked about getting married, having kids, and living in a big house. Typical. It was just puppy-love. We were just wishfully thinking. We didn't give much thought to it. It's surreal to see how our love has unfolded. We are so insync. It's like we never separated. For years, no matter where we were or what our relationship status might have been, there was always this unspoken mutual understanding that we were unfinished business. To us, that's what makes our love story so humbling --- Like how? How did we get to pick our soulmate at such a young age? I guess we were really meant to be.
Amir: Her compassionate heart drove me to marry her. She has always seen so much in me and tries her best to bring it out of me. My wife is the only woman, besides my family, to care about my well-being.
She is my life partner.
The Best Part
Vava: I love his calming spirit and integrity. I admire that in him so much and look to him to bring me back to earth. I needed someone with his discipline and patience to complement my weaknesses.
Amir: I love her fiery spirit! It's what attracted me to her. She's a go-getter and a great one at that. That same fiery spirit annoys me sometimes (laughs). But, that's what makes her unique in my eyes.
Meet Me At The Altar
Vava: For me, it was a little before we started dating again. As God would have it, Amir randomly reached out to me for prayer. His mother was going to have heart surgery and he just needed a friend to lean on. I was still very close with them after all those years, so I prayed for his mother and family. Post-op, while his mother was in recovery, Amir and I went to visit her at the hospital. The family was happy to see us visiting together. Sitting in her hospital room, we all reminisced about the years Amir and I dated back in high school. After I left, his Aunt Deana told Amir, "Nephew, you don't want to miss your blessing twice." A few weeks later, we decided to end the seven-year cat-and-mouse-game. Well, more specifically, I did. I recall texting him late one night these exact words:
"You need to finish whatever you have going on because we all know how this is going to end. And it's time we start building our lives together."
His was response was, "Okay."
A few months later, we were engaged. That was pretty bold of me at the time. But I knew, the series of events that happened weren't by mistake. It was divine positioning.
Amir: The summer we got back together, I had that strong feeling. We were creating so many wonderful memories and just enjoying each other. I guess it was bubbling inside of me. But, what really took the cake was when I got a deal to play basketball overseas. She was the one who gave me the motivation and confidence I didn't see in myself. She propelled to manifest a childhood dream of mine. Something we had always talked about as kids.
You need someone who won't only pray for you, but get in the paint for us. That just confirmed she was the one.
Baggage Claim
Vava: I can be a firecracker (laughs). I grew up in a house full of boys, so sometimes my approach is too strong. For me, my strength is my identity. I had to learn to let my husband see my weakness and not always be on the defense. There's beauty in vulnerability.
Amir: [A challenge has been] expressing myself. Not sure if it's a guy thing or a me thing, but I really don't like opening up. To be honest, I'm still having a little trouble with that. Despite that, I intentionally work at getting better in that area because communication is important. It helps you overcome a lot.
It's necessary for a healthy and stable marriage.
Deepest Fears
Vava: I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to live up to the expectations of a wife. I was fearful of running out of "good wife" stars for not being perfect. I eventually realized that no one has it all figured out.
No one is perfect or fully-prepared before saying "I do." I just decided to trust the things I knew, and have faith in God for the unknown.
Amir: [I would wonder to myself], am I going be a great husband to her? She could've had anyone else in the world and she chose me. I had to realize that I'm not perfect and she still chose me to be her husband. For that simple reason, I shouldn't have anything to fear.
Putting Each Other First
Vava: I always felt like I made a lot of sacrifices for our marriage, especially while my husband played basketball overseas. When he returned home, I felt like it was his turn to have my back while I chased my dreams in New York. But, Amir was not comfortable with moving to NYC and preferred to stay in Miami. I thrive off of experiences and living life with impulse. Not jetting to New York City to live my best version of Carrie Bradshaw was daunting.
I constantly felt like I had lost the piece of me that I valued so much. My freedom.
I felt caged and unsuccessful in Miami, and at this point, I faulted my husband for that. It took months of arguing, not understanding each other's point of view, and frustration to finally come to a resolve. Last September, I had gotten an offer to help out with press for a few shows at New York Fashion Week. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show him my world. So I booked him a flight, too.
Amir coming to New York was so therapeutic for our marriage.
He was able to see me in my element and really understand why I was so adamant about moving to New York. Now moving to New York City is something we both want. He now understands how serious I am about my career, and how much I appreciate his support.
Mentors In Marriage
Vava: My mother is my confidant. She holds all my secrets. My mother-in-law is our go-to for unbiased and honest advice. She'll tell the both of us to get it together.
Amir: My mother. She keeps it very real. She doesn't take it easy on me because I'm her son (laughs).
First Year Love Lessons
Vava: Be humble, and listen to your partner. Never argue to be right. Focus on finding a resolution so you both can move past the disagreement. You don't always have to agree with them, but you must try to understand their point of view.
Amir: Communication and understanding will diffuse a lot of disagreements. You're going to have lots of disagreements but the key is to never go to bed angry.
*Featured image via Wilna M.
For more on Vava and Amir's love story follow them on Instagram @vavacharly and @amir_ashaude or on their joint account @nounou.home.
Ashley McDonough is a writer and producer in New York City. When she's not busy writing or producing culturally conscious content, she is patiently waiting for Oprah and Stedman to adopt her. Keep up with her journey via social @Ashley_Milani or check out her work on www.AshleyMcDonough.org.
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole
My personal relationship with birth control pills is a bit of an odd one. Back when I first became sexually active (I started having sex with my first boyfriend a couple of months shy of 19), I took them for a couple of months, didn’t like how they made me feel, and so I quit using them altogether (and got pregnant almost immediately after). The rest of my adult life, I stayed off of the pill and pretty much only used condoms (and even then, not consistently — SMDH).
And yet here I am, now, all these years later, back on them again: surprise, surprise.
These days, it's for a completely different purpose, though. Now that I am in the hopefully latter stages of perimenopause (I’m not sure because my mother had a full hysterectomy at 29, her mother died at 53 and I don’t deal with my paternal grandmother because…chile… ) — although I have always had relatively easy cycles and I could definitely set my watch to them, about two years ago, my periods started to show up whenever they felt like it and it was damn near a crime scene once they did.
It was driving me crazy, and so, my nurse practitioner recommended that I take progestin-only pills to shorten, if not completely stop, my cycle: “After a year or so, we can wean off and see if you are entering into menopause on your own.” (Whew, perimenopause, chile.)
Although the first five months of being on this particular pill made me wonder if it was worth it to take this approach, I actually re-upped for another 12-month cycle because the extra progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) has benefitted me in other areas as well because I am sleeping more soundly and my weight is more stabilized (by the way, when these things are “off,” they are signs of low progesterone levels). However, I did ask my nurse practitioner if, once I do decide to wean off of the pill, would there be any issues.
Her response is what inspired me to write this article because, until she said “post-birth control syndrome” to me, I had no idea there was such a thing. Anyway, if you give me a sec, I’ll explain to you what it is and why you should care if hormone-related birth control is currently a part of your life.
Yes, Post-Birth Control Syndrome Is a Very Real Thing
Okay, so it’s important to always remember that the way that birth control works is it “manipulates” your hormones so that you can significantly reduce your chances of conceiving. This means that taking them could result in some side effects including nausea; weight gain; headaches; irregular periods and/or spotting; increased stress; depression; blurry vision; breast tenderness, and/or a lowered libido.
That said, even though birth control pills are basically 99 percent effective (when taken correctly and consistently), if the side effects that you are experiencing are making you close to miserable, you should absolutely share that with your healthcare provider because…what’s the sense in preventing pregnancy when you don’t even feel up to having sex because you don’t feel good or your sex drive is shot? More times than not, your provider can find you another pill brand or option that will help you to feel more like yourself.
With that out of the way, think about it — if going on the pill can produce side effects, why would going off of it…not? And this is where post-birth control syndrome comes in.
For the most part, it’s what can happen to your body once you decide to come off of birth control. Typically, the symptoms will last anywhere between 4-6 months and, although the symptoms seem to present themselves most intensely as it relates to going off of the pill, any hormone-related birth control (like IUDs, injections, patches, the ring or implants) could produce similar outcomes.
Outcomes like what?
- Irregular cycles
- Breakouts
- Excessive gas and/or bloating
- Weight gain
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Fertility issues
- Migraines and/or headaches
- Shifts in your libido
- Sleeplessness/restlessness
- Hair loss
Whoa, right? And if a part of you is wondering, “Okay, if this is indeed the case, why have I not heard of this syndrome before?” It’s because it’s not a term that conventional method uses nearly as much as alternative medicine does. Still, it makes all of the sense in the world that if your body has to adjust to an uptick in hormonal intake, it would also need to adjust to removing those extra doses of hormones from your system as well. COMMON. DAMN. SENSE.
Anyway, if you were thinking about taking a break from birth control and taking all of this in has you feeling a bit…let’s go with the word “trepidatious” about doing so, I totally get it. There are some things that you can do to make experiencing post-birth control syndrome either a non-issue or a far more bearable one, though.
7 Home Remedies That Can Make Coping with Post-Birth Control Syndrome Easier
1. Take a multivitamin.Something that’s fascinating about what going off of birth control can do is it sometimes has the ability to lower your nutrition levels as it relates to certain vitamins and minerals; this is especially the case when it comes to vitamins B, C, E and minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc. So, if you don’t currently take a multivitamin, now would be the time to start (along with consuming foods that are particularly high in those nutrients as well).
2. Up your vitamin D intake. Speaking of nutrient levels, a vitamin level that commonly drops after going off of birth control isvitamin D. This is hella critical to keep in mind as a Black woman since many of us tend to be naturally deficient in the vitamin as-is and vitamin D is important when it comes to fighting off diseases, regulating weight and keeping your moods stabilized (for starters). So, make sure that your multivitamin has vitamin D in it. Also make sure to consume vitamin D-enriched foods like fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms, yogurt and fortified orange juice.
3. Drink herbal teas. Since going off of birth control will cause your hormones to be all over the place for a season, consider drinking some herbal teas that will help to stabilize them. Black cohosh contains phytoestrogen properties, Chasteberry can help to level out your prolactin levels and green tea can help your hormones out by helping to balance out your insulin (which can sometimes directly affect them).
4. Keep some ibuprofen nearby. The headaches and migraines? Until those subside, you and ibuprofen are probably going to become really good friends; although I will add that ginger tea and inhaling essential oils like chamomile and lavender can help to ease migraine-related symptoms too.
5. Do some meditating. Waiting for your hormones to get back on track can be stressful as all get out. That said, something that can get your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to chill out is to meditate. If meditation is new for you, check out “7 Meditation Hacks (For People Who Can't Seem To Do It).”
6. Get massages. As if you needed an excuse to get a massage, right (check out “12 Different Massage Types. How To Know Which Is Right For You.”)? However, there is some evidence to back the fact that regular massages (somewhere around once a month) can help to lower your stress, boost your dopamine, increase blood flow and drain your lymphatic system so that you will have more energy.
7. Sleep/rest more. There is plenty of scientific research out here which says that sleep deprivation can throw your hormones out of whack — and since your hormones are already trying to stabilize themselves, you definitely need to get 6-8 hours of sleep and not feel the least bit guilty about taking naps sometimes too.
____
Post-birth control syndrome may not be the most pleasant thing about getting off of birth control yet it is manageable. So, now that you know all about it, you can feel more confident about taking a birth control break (or getting off altogether) — without the surprises that can come with doing it. Give thanks.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Unsplash