Meet Mayowa and Jadesola, our Rigour+ love birds.
Share a funny memory from your first Valentine’s Day together and how your celebrations have evolved.
Mayowa: At that period, I had lost some money to a cloud subscription and I was broke, and so that period, all I had was 20 thousand naira in my account and I used 20k out of the money left to get her the best Valentine’s gift I could get her at that time, leaving me with 3436.71 naira to survive for the rest of the month. It was a very funny but certainly memorable experience for me. It also meant alot to me that Jadesola was there for me during that period and she took care of me even before she knew I spent almost all I had on her Valentine’s gift.
Jade: Earlier that month, Mayowa told me about the unexpected deduction from his account and how he was left with almost no money, so I honestly didn’t expect a gift from him. I remember having to get either an extra plate of food or more food portions so we could eat together because I saw he wasn’t eating well at that time. Fast forward to Valentine’s Day, there was a program for the ladies in the evening so I gave him his gift (which was a sweatshirt) before leaving for the program. On getting to the hostel, I was surprised to have gotten a box of nice and thoughtfully curated gifts. That was one of the most sincere gifts I had ever received and it made me happy, not just because of the gift in itself, but the sacrifice he made to get it for me.
In subsequent years, we have not been spending Valentine’s Days together because of the long distance, but it has still been as magical and beautiful as ever
How did you two meet, and what’s the most memorable moment from those early days of your relationship?
Mayowa: We met in school in our 100-level days. In our earliest days of dating up until graduation, my most memorable moments were going to class together, sitting next to each other in class, and buying food in the cafe together. spending time together after classes, late night walks to the hostel together, chatting with each other after a long day like we didn’t spend the whole day together. It sounds really funny but I did enjoy every bit of it.
Jade: We met in our early 100-level days, and although we didn’t start dating until our final year, we always enjoyed spending time with each other. One of my most memorable moments in the earliest days of our relationship was having productive conversations together, about our goals, and backgrounds, and it felt amazing to get to know my best friend of 3 years on a different level.
If your relationship was a dish, what would it be, and how does it reflect your shared values of love and health?
Mayowa: For me, it would be a burger because of the blend of different ingredients that make it nice
Jade: It would be quite difficult for me to choose just one dish because just as every dish requires intentionality, patience, and an active decision to keep mixing ingredients till the desired result or consistency is achieved, so does a relationship. This reflects my value that love is a choice because there are those days when we fall out and annoy each other and do not feel like being near other, but we still make those choices to be with each other, because that is when it matters the most.
Describe a memorable date night that combined your love for good food and a commitment to healthy living.
Mayowa: For me, my most memorable date night is the last one we recently had because every day supersedes the other
Jade: While I enjoy every opportunity I get to spend time with Mayowa, the most memorable date night we had was our first. There was a great view, nice food, and a handsome guy sitting across me, and we did have wonderful conversations. It was really beautiful.
If you had to create a joint workout playlist, what songs would make the cut, and do any have a special meaning for your relationship?
Mayowa: For me, the songs that would make the cut are :
- Just the two of us (Grover Washington Jnr) – because it reminds me ouf our relationship and the fact that I started listening to jazz because it’s Jadesola’s favorite genre
- Your Smile (Tjan) – because I love the way she enjoys the song and dances to it
- Lagbaja (Never Far Away)
Jade: I’m more of an old-school and jazz fan because I believe old-school songs make much more sense than songs sung now. Songs that would make the cut for me are:
- Woman in Love (Barbara Seistrand) – because I am a woman in love as the song implies, and it reminds me of who I am in love with.
- I’d Rather (Luther Vandross) – the lyrics say “I’d rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else, I’d rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself, I’d rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart, I’d rather have the one who holds my heart”.
- Suddenly(Bill Ocean) – because it gives me this nostalgia of all the special moments we’ve had together as friends, and of how my long-time best friend is now my boyfriend ‘suddenly’.
How do you incorporate spontaneity into your relationship while staying mindful of your health goals?
Mayowa: They say “Laughter is the best medicine”. And sometimes, it truly is, so even during intense moments of argument or difficulty, I reduce tension by cracking funny jokes. And in the times when we happen to not be long-distance from each other, I organize dates to help us reconnect and have deep feedback conversations
Jade: I have learnt that it takes alot of effort and intentionality to make anything work, especially relationships. Therefore intentionality goes a long way, from planning long-distance activities, sending appreciation notes, and reaffirming my partner how much he means to me and just being on a video call with him while he plays FIFA on his PlayStation 🙂
