Dwight and Donna Bent Smith know just how to keep the excitement and thrill in their union, and after 33 years of marriage, they still have ‘surprises’ and continue to be each other’s best friends.
And that’s telling it! Dwight, who is a past student of Kingston College, and Donna, who at one point attended Clarendon College from grades 7-9 before moving to Merlgrove High, is also fiercely loyal to “the school on the hill.”
When football season comes around or any competition involving their alma maters, the two enjoy a friendly rivalry, secure in their love.
According to Donna, who met her husband through his brother, there wasn’t an instant connection between them, but once they started seeing each other, getting to know one another, and dating, everything fell into place.
August 4, 1990 Donna and Dwight tied the knot and what a journey it has been since then!
Sharing with Freedom Come Rain on what she likes about her husband, Donna said his calm disposition, humility, and extreme honesty endear him to her time and time again.
As for her husband, he is still drawn to her kindness, dedication, and love for people.
GIVE AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE
With a fond smile, Dwight recalls an instance where his wife just couldn’t help being herself.
“She is a sucker for a sob story. Together we run our business, Rituals Coffee House, located in the Village Plaza in Half-Way-Tree, and you know profit is the bottom line. We do sandwiches, pasta…you know, all those delicious things. She saw a destitute man hanging outside the door, and there she went with a plate in her hand,” he related. Still, he doesn’t mind, as he admits he knows she is sowing seeds for their business.
Sharing the things she loves about him, Donna said she loves his calm disposition. He is humble and extremely honest. His physical appearance completes the package for her.
And of course, she can still give him butterflies just by beholding her natural beauty.
As strong as their union is, they both will admit that there are times when disagreements pop up, but the secret for them is knowing how to deal with them.
“We are praying people, and when occasions like those come up, we pray, and then we have a discussion,” Donna shared.
With both of them having their hands full running the business, Donna said they make it a priority to ensure they spend quality time with each other. So when they are not working, she said, they spend their free time playing board games such as dominoes, kalooki or just cuddling and watching a movie together.
Sharing on the longevity of their marriage, Donna said there is no real secret and it is a formula every couple can follow. “Keep God in the union, that is very important. He is the stabilising factor in our union,” she disclosed.
Going down memory lane Dwight will never forget his reaction when Donna accepted his proposal, “I was skipping around because I was so happy,” he grinned.
Back then, he remembers the entire household having the DS initials, including all the pets!
And for Donna, it’s all about having dinner together on their green carpet while watching a movie.
“We call it “Dinner for two at the Green Carpet Theatre,” she shared with a laugh.
With children now grown, Dwight and Donna can now contemplate what’s left on their bucket list—the two were in total agreement as they informed they plan on “leaving the children and everyone behind and just travelling and spending quality time with each other.”