As of this weekend, I came into this world 26 years ago. And in that time, my way of thinking has evolved in a number of ways. While, when I was little, I would dream of the day I was swept off my feet by my Prince Charming and carried to the altar like the princess I was born to be, ow, as an adult, all I can really think about is being whisked away by Sallie Mae into the land of financial freedom.
Needless to say, since I have become the grown ass woman that is writing this article today, I am no longer infatuated by the idea of marrying a prince with a horse and carriage, and more concerned by the type of man with whom I can see myself building a debt-free empire.
The big wedding and bouquet toss of my dreams all began to seem trivial when I realized that adulthood is a bumpy trip that you don't want to take without someone who knows how to gas you up and change a tire if needed. It's a trip that celebrity couple, Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham have been on for the last 25 years and counting, and these two have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Stedman was literally all of us when he recently appeared on an episode of Ellen to promote his new book, Identity Leadership: To Lead Others You Must First Lead Yourself, but ended up gushing about his boo instead. When asked what he loves about his longtime partner, he shared:
"You can trust her, number one. She's smart, she has a photographic memory, she works very, very hard, and ... she's very successful."
Issa fact that alongside every strong woman, is a man who isn't intimidated by her strength, and Stedman has proven to be exactly that to our rich auntie, Oprah. After meeting at a charity event in 1986, the couple felt a spark and it was on like Donkey Kong.
In the interview, the published author dropped a few gems about how he and Oprah have kept the love alive after more than two decades of commitment. According to Stedman, his secret is simple:
"The thing about our relationship is I want the best for her. So, I'm dedicated to her happiness, so that's great for her and I want her to be the best she can possibly be and she's done a pretty good job of doing it."
While Stedman fulfills his duties in the emotional and moral support departments in an effort to show his admiration for his lover, Oprah makes sure to keep the kitchen just as hot as their ongoing relationship. She told Oprah Magazinethat one of the ways she shows love for her man is making sure he's well-fed. Despite being able to hire some of the wealthiest chefs in the world, Oprah is still intentional about making sure her man has a home-cooked meal — or sometimes just a good ass English muffin.
"Well, I am a really good cook and the thing about Stedman is in all the years that I've been cooking for him, no matter what it is, even if it's just a piece of toast—like the other day I made an English muffin and he's like, 'where did you get this English muffin?' and I'm like, it's an English muffin!—so he is delighted with anything I make."
In his interview with Ellen, Stedman shared that one of the things he appreciates most about their relationship is her ability to be strong in the areas in which he lacks.
"For me, I've been able to find my own happiness, and develop my own skills, my own talents, my own abilities—and I'm satisfied with that. So, the combination, when you have a good partner that's able to self-actualize their potential and you're able to self-actualize yours, one and one equals about six."
Although Stedman and Oprah have an Instagram relationship and impenetrable bond, in the past, many people have questioned why the couple chose not to get married. Oprah answered these inquiries in an interview in 2017:
"Nobody believes it, but it's true. The only time I brought it up was when I said to Stedman, 'What would have happened if we had actually gotten married?' And the answer is: 'We wouldn't be together.' We would not have stayed together, because marriage requires a different way of being in this world. His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional and I would not have been able to fit into that."
There are different strokes for different folks, sis, and Steadman and Oprah are proof that when your stroke looks like everyone else's, it hit a lil' different.
Check out Stedman's full interview with Ellen below!
Stedman Graham on What Makes His Long Relationship with Oprah Workwww.youtube.com
Featured image by Instagram/@Oprah.