Spencer & Brittany Collins’ Love Story Proves Good Things Come In Unexpected Packages
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.
In 2013, Brittany and Spencer Collins met after crossing paths at random. Six years, four anniversaries, and three children later, this couple is living proof that good things come in unexpected packages. Their love story began after Brittany's former employer was assigned to her future husband's route. "He was delivering packages to my old job and I thought he was so freaking cute!" the 27-year-old mother-of-three explained. "I used to hope for a package daily just to hear him say, 'Can you sign for me?' and 'How's your day going?' I enjoyed any little conversation we had. I had a legit crush on him! I felt like I was in middle school waiting to switch classes just to see him in the hall."
Over time, Brittany and Spencer's small talk led to big energy and the couple discovered that their attraction to one another was mutual. "She gave me butterflies!" Spencer gushed. "When I first saw her smile at me, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to get to know her more."
While Brittany and Spencer's life of melanin matrimony may appear effortless, this couple is here to let you know there is assembly required when it comes to making a marriage work. In this month's segment of Our First Year, we chatted with them about how they met, falling in love, and why communication is a must in their marriage.
Here's what we learned:
The One
Brittany: This might sound a little cliche, but I knew [he was the one] right away. We went on our first official date and on the way home I wanted to go straight to the courthouse. Our vibes were so in sync from day one. I knew that marriage was the next step when he didn't run off after meeting my dad. Any man that is willing to respectfully stand up to a man who, at the time wouldn't shake his hand. But he knew it was important to me and was willing to go through the fire for me. He got to sit down with my dad one-on-one and then I knew he was my husband!
Spencer: We hit it off right away. It was like we had already been dating---how we finished each other's sentences and thoughts. She gave me that feeling that I've never felt with anyone else. I knew we would get married after our first date. We went to a concert in D.C. and on the ride home I opened about my feelings about her and how she made me feel. It was the moment I felt we both really connected and were on the same page. I knew right then that marriage was in our future. I just didn't know when.
"I knew we would get married after our first date. We went to a concert in D.C. and on the ride home I opened about my feelings about her and how she made me feel. It was the moment I felt we both really connected and were on the same page. I knew right then that marriage was in our future. I just didn't know when."
Overcoming Fears In Marriage
Brittany: [I had a] fear of divorce/failure. We took the option off the table. We promised to always communicate and never stop trying.
Spencer: [My fear was] not being the husband that God intended me to be. I prayed about my fears and communicated with her about them. We both had the same concerns/fears so talking about them made me feel at ease.
Baggage Claim
Brittany: I had some serious trust issues at the time. Feeling like I couldn't do things on my own. I really had to look at myself even before considering dating anyone. I had to trust myself with making the right decisions for my life and know that if I picked the right person, they won't make me worry so I have to be secure with myself first; acknowledging that was the first part. Then, taking time to step away from the outside world and noise to really enjoy time and get to know myself. I had to find that it's OK to let someone take care of you without feeling crippled and it's OK to put on the belt to help the pants stay on as well without belittling him. It is a slippery slope but that is where communication comes in.
Whenever we are going through a rough patch, we set aside one day of the week to talk and have completely open floor conversations about things the other is doing right, wrong, or things we want to change or work on. We really open the floor for anything. Just to have that uninterrupted time together has helped with overcoming though hills in our marriage.
Spencer: Individually, I had to learn to take myself out of the equation at times and see things from her perspective. A lot of times I would harbor feelings instead of expressing them. It's hard for another person to understand you if you don't express those issues. Once I talked to her about it, I would feel 10 times better about it. We would set a certain day out the week to just talk about anything we had on our minds with no judgment!
Courtesy of Brittany Collins
"Whenever we are going through a rough patch, we set aside one day of the week to talk and have completely open floor conversations about things the other is doing right, wrong, or things we want to change or work on. We really open the floor for anything. Just to have that uninterrupted time together has helped with overcoming though hills in our marriage."
Love Languages
Brittany: I read The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lastsbook before meeting him so I was very aware of what my languages were, which definitely helped in our relationship. We took the test together once married and discussed expectations. We keep the results for if ever we need a reminder.
Spencer: I never knew about love languages before we met so it was a whole new different area for me to navigate. She had to remind me a few times, so it did take some time to become aware and translate it in our marriage.
Important Lessons In Marriage
Brittany: You have to make the choice to put your pride to the side, whether right or wrong, and listen to understand, compromise and concur. I had to shut my mouth and create a plan versus get upset and say, "You are on your own." Teamwork is the key factor.
Spencer: Learn to listen instead of going back and forth about concerns. It was tough in the beginning because we're still trying to understand the dos and don'ts. Just taking time to talk to one another and set up a plan for what will make things better for each other.
Courtesy of Brittany Collins
"You have to make the choice to put your pride to the side, whether right or wrong, and listen to understand, compromise and concur."
Overcoming Challenges
Brittany: Communicating and compromising are key when sharing spaces. We lived together prior to getting married with very little stuff so that helped the transition. As far as finances, we had to make the choice to give the responsibility to the person that was better with numbers. We sat down and did the overall budget together but generally, I am responsible for keeping that in line.
Spencer: It was challenging at times, me going from having my own space to becoming a father figure. I was used to certain spending habits that I had to compromise [on]. She has always been great with money so learning from her habits helped me work on mine. Communicating with each other about our concerns about one another was key.
The Best Part
Brittany: I love how he remains calm and is very supportive. He has a very chill spirit that complements my personality. Whenever I have an idea, he is on board immediately---he supports and trusts my decision. He has a lot of faith in me, and I love that about him.
Spencer: I love how she is very goal-oriented. When she sets her mind on something, she gives 110%. She is very creative and crafty, and she values family and God.
Best Advice
Brittany: Keep God first in your marriage and communication even in tough situations. I would not suggest telling anyone every little thing in your marriage. Choose wisely who you confide in and what you are telling. You never know who is rooting for your downfall, who is hanging up with you to phone a friend, or who is giving you the wrong advice. Also, what you tell people while you are upset or venting you will get over, but they may never forget. If you choose to confide in someone, keep that one person at max.
Spencer: It's all teamwork at the end of the day. One person can't do it all in a marriage or relationship. Put God first and have good communication with one another. I feel that when it comes to your marriage, some topics should be handled in-house. Not everyone is in it for your best interests.
"It's all teamwork at the end of the day. One person can't do it all in a marriage or relationship. Put God first and have good communication with one another. I feel that when it comes to your marriage, some topics should be handled in-house. Not everyone is in it for your best interests."
Building Together
Brittany: Creating memories and a good financial foundation for our children to start on is our primary goal. Love and friendship are the roots of our foundation. My goals will create extra income and allow more free time to take trips and see the world with my family.
Spencer: Being financially stable would be our common goal. Being able to support our family while still enjoying life [is also important]. Establishing a friendship first has always been our foundation. Doing my part to communicate with her regarding the budget---those things are needed in the home.
For more Brittany & Spencer, follow them on Instagram @spenceandbritt!
Featured image courtesy of Brittany Collins.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
The Reality Of Living With Severe Asthma – As Told by 2 Women On Their Disease Journey
This post is in partnership with Amgen.
The seemingly simple task of taking a breath is something most of us don’t think twice about. But for people who live with severe asthma, breathing does not always come easily. Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, affects millions of people worldwide – 5-10% of which live with severe asthma. Severe asthma is a chronic and lifelong condition that is unpredictable and can be difficult to manage. Though often invisible to the rest of the world, severe asthma is a not-so-silent companion for those who live with it, often interrupting schedules and impacting day-to-day life.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
Here's A Look At Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens' Relationship Timeline
When a young Black woman redefines the entire category of elite gymnastics and becomes the most decorated gymnast — male or female — of all time, you can’t help but take notice. However, the four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, have recently made headlines for a less-romantic detail of their love story.
Since becoming engaged in 2021, Owens, an NFL safety for the Green Bay Packers, has persisted that prior to matching with Biles on the celebrity dating app, Raya, he was unfamiliar with her and the history-making titles she holds.
“I didn’t know who she was,” he told Texas Monthly in June 2021. “I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked.”
Most of the internet met this revelation with irony and mild confusion since Owens is a new face to most outside of his recent marriage to Biles.
In a recent conversation on The Pivot podcast, Owens spoke to the hosts about the origins of their relationship, rehashing how Biles made the first move by sliding into his DMs after matching on Raya. When podcast host Channing Crowder inquired of Owens, "How did you manage to win over Simone Biles?" the NFL player humorously replied, "It's more like how she won me over."
The football player went on to affirm that he was ultimately “the catch” within the two’s relationship dynamic, leading to online criticism of the remark.
It’s safe to say that Biles’ history-defining trajectory is difficult to ignore, making her a “catch” in our eyes. Nevertheless, to acquaint you with the couple’s love story, here's a breakdown of the timeline of their relationship.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' Complete Relationship Timeline
March 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Meet on Raya
Biles and Owens’ love story began at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, after matching on Raya. With the world on pause, the two took advantage of their less busy schedules to build a foundation for their connection.
"It was one of the few times in [Simone's] life where everything was just shut off and she couldn't do anything," Owens shared in an interview with Today. "So we used it to get to know each other — really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I'm so thankful."
August 2020: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Make Things Instagram Official
In the summer of 2020, Biles and Owens locked in their relationship, making things Instagram-official. The gymnast shared a round of cozy photos of her and Owens hugged up together with a caption that read, "It's just us." The footballer planted a kiss on Biles to seal the deal.
February 2021: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Spend Their First V-Day Together
For their first Valentine’s Day together, the lovebirds went all out to celebrate the romantic occasion. Biles took to Instagram to share their extravagant V-Day layout filled with heart-shaped balloons, rose petals covering the floor, and a sign displaying “LOVE” as their backdrop. Biles’ caption read, "lucky to be loved by you 💘."
July 2021: Jonathan Owens Praises Simone Biles for Her ‘Strength’ and ‘Courage’ During the 2021 Olympics
Owens showed that he has Biles’ back after she withdrew from the individual all-around finals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games by sharing a heartfelt post in support of his lady on Instagram.
“Imma ride with you through whatever baby,” Owens wrote. “Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB. You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that, i love you so much and i can’t wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I’m always here for you baby.”
In the comments, Biles wrote, “I love you so much.”
February 2022: Simone Biles Says 'Yes' to Jonathan Owens' Valentine's Day Proposal
Following Valentine’s Day, Biles said “yes!” to the football player’s marriage proposal. They shared a post of their engagement announcement in a carousel of adoring photos with Owens on bended knee.
"THE EASIEST YES," Biles wrote in the caption. "I can't wait to spend forever & ever with you, you're everything I dreamed of and more! let's get married FIANCÉ 💍🥺🥲🤎 @jowens_3."
April 22, 2023: Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Exchange Vows in an Intimate Setting
The wedding bells were ringing! Biles and Owens exchanged vows during a civil ceremony at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. The gymnast captioned the slideshow of wedding day photos writing, "I do 🤍 officially owens 🤍."
Owens echoed his affection with a post, captioned: "My person, forever ❤️💍."
May 4, 2023: Simone Biles Marries Jonathan Owens a Second Time During a Destination Wedding in Mexico
After their private courthouse wedding, the couple hosted a lavish destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with 144 guests.
In a video segment with Vogue, Biles shared, “I think this is exactly how brides are supposed to feel. Luxurious, beautiful, kind of on top of the world.”
October 19, 2023: Simone Biles Opens Up About How Marriage Changed Her Outlook on Gymnastics
While on the Today show, Biles opened up about her changed perspective on gymnastics since marrying Owens, conveying a sense of fulfillment beyond the sport.
"Gymnastics is just something I get to come in and have the privilege of doing,” Biles shared. “I don’t feel like it’s the end all be all anymore, as before I kind of felt like that. I get to go home to my husband, to my dogs, to my house and all of the things. So it feels really good.”
December 2023: Jonathan Owens’ Comments on ‘The Pivot’ Podcast Sparks Backlash From Simone Biles Fans
During an episode of The Pivot podcast, host Crowder asked Owens, "How in the hell did you pull Simone Biles?"
In response, the football player said, "It's really how she pulled me, man, that's the question.”
Owens went on to double down on their origin story, stating that he was initially unfamiliar with Biles, "When she won the Olympics, I was in college, and we didn't have NBC, we didn't have Olympics channels, and we were in [training] camp [in] late July, early August.”
He added, “So I'm not paying attention. I never would've had a moment where I would've watched [her compete].”
When questioned whether he saw himself as the prize in his relationship with Biles, the NFL star stated that, "I always say that the men are the catch."
While Owens eventually revealed he was initially “afraid to commit” because "I'm like, 'It's kinda early.'”
He continued, “But you know, it happens when you least expect it. When we hung out, we just hit it off instantly. Laughed the whole night.”
Following the backlash, the couple responded on their perspective social media pages. Owens posted a photo from their wedding on his Instagram with the caption, "Unbothered 😂❤️ Just know we locked in over here 🤞🏽."
While Simone took a comedic approach and tweeted, "are y'all done yet?" with a meme of a little kid scratching their head.
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Feature image by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images