Lamont and Raynita met more than 15 years ago, and this month, the couple is celebrating their union as husband and wife during the coronavirus pandemic.
The onset of COVID-19 has changed travel protocols, so the couple who usually travel to the United States at every anniversary, is forced to celebrate at home under a national lockdown.
When plans were made to travel to a Family Island to celebrate their union instead, that too was cancelled.
So they celebrated at home. They got dressed, hired a photographer for pictures in their backyard, and sat down for a beautiful dinner.
Lamont, a Bahamian citizen and Raynita, an American national said the lockdown has forced them to rediscover love.
“This lockdown has made us much closer than we already were. We love being in each other’s presence, laughing and having fun.
“We realized that we weren’t spending much time together due to our busy schedules…Sometimes I would have to carry the boys to their basketball games or music performances, while my husband is still working. We didn’t realize until the lockdown, that we were barely spending quality time together,” said Raynita, the mother of two boys.
While the Sweetings are celebrating love and are enjoying quality time together during the national lockdown, many couples are inquiring about the dissolution of their marriages.
QC Wayne Munroe said he has received numerous phone calls of couples seeking divorce, as he and other attorneys see “a tremendous increase” in cases.
“I tell people that one of the quickest ways to get divorced is to spend too much time with your spouse. The little things that annoy you, you cannot get a break from it. It’s a phenomenon you’re going to see a lot more of,” he said.
But Raynita said marriage relationships are not easy, and couples should make time for each other and themselves.
Lamont offers this advice to couples in lockdown: “Put God first. Always pray together, laugh together, trust each other and be each other’s number one supporter.
“I pray that God will continue to bless our union and that we be an example to many others in these tough times.”