Simply Love

Avalin and Humphrey met in November of 1981 at a Brooklyn College Football party.  Avalin remembers thinking to herself, “ wow, what a cute guy”.  Although Humphrey seemed distant throughout the night, he managed to get his courage up to ask Avalin for a dance.  Could he have just been shy?  Quite possibly!  They danced one time that night and Avalin didn’t see him again until it was time to leave.  It seemed Humphrey had to build up even more courage to come up to her and ask for her phone number.  Avalin was hesitant but took a chance and said okay.   To her surprise, he called her the next day!  They talked on the phone a lot since that night.  They didn’t officially go out on a date until New Year’s Eve in January 1982.

Humphrey is an old fashion kind of guy.   He is very close to his family and his Grenadian roots.  He was born on the small island of Petit Martinique in the Grenadines.  He is the second of eight children. He has 4 brothers and 3 sisters.  His ancestry consists of African, Portuguese and European descent.

Avalin is a sweet, family-oriented kind a gal.  She comes from a large family of Kittitian descent.  Her family is from St. Paul’s and Dieppe Bay, St. Kitts.   She is also very close to her family.  Avalin was born in Birmingham, England U.K and immigrated to the United States in 1968.  

Most of their dates were either at family affairs or Caribbean parties.   Humphrey wanted to make a good impression on Avalin’s parents by bringing his uncle and cousins to meet her family on their first date.  It was a New Year’s Eve celebration!  Her mom was impressed; however, her father wasn’t buying it.  I guess no guy was good enough for his baby girl.  They dated for about 3 ½ years before Humphrey proposed in February of 1984.  Her engagement ring was a diamond pear shaped ring, a little over a half a carat.  Those were indeed humble times!  Nevertheless, Avalin got an upgrade exactly 25 years later with a 1 ½ carat, princess cut, white gold solitaire setting.  She still however, loves her original pear shaped engagement ring.  This was a lovely birthday surprise.

Avalin knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Humphrey was the one for her because he was dependable and responsible.  He is a hard worker, very loving and kind.  He always made her feel special when they went out.  He is not a big talker but always gave her puppy dog looks that made her melt.  He always showed up immaculately dressed like a GQ model right out of the magazine and he always smelled good.  Most importantly, Avalin was always felt included in his family from the start.  They always made her feel welcomed.

They have been married for 27 years and have known each other for 31 years.

They were married in May of 1985 at Vanderveer Park United Methodist Church in Brooklyn.  It was a huge affair, both families filled the church to overflowing capacity.

They have two beautiful children, Thalia Ann and Gervase.

Avalin believes that marriage is not for the faint at heart nor the selfish.  Couples should always remember what brought them together from the beginning in her case it was simply love.  They may fight on and off but they always give and show each other love.  Communication is also important, as well as kindness and trust.  You have to have a good sense of humor and learn to laugh through life’s puddles.

For young families, she shares that God should be at the center of the family.  It is important to raise children in a Christian environment and to teach them to learn to love the Lord.  This gives them a moral foundation as stated in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”   Time is also very important, how we spend it and prioritize it.  Family should always come first.  And finally, she says to always talk to your children and give them lots of love.

Avalin does contract work in the Financial Industry.  Humphrey is a Manager at a Pawn Brokerage.  They both reside in Brooklyn, New York.