‘More time for the people I love!’

OMAR and Roxanne Genas are a breath of fresh love! Married for four years and 10 months, the two lovebirds have an energetic one-year-old, Josiah, and are elated to have more time together at home as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis. We share their wonderful love story and positive perspective in this challenging season.

First, we asked Roxanne, a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur, what she loves most about Omar.

Roxanne: He is a real man, a fighter for our dreams. He’s a man that stands on principles and follows through on his commitments. I can count on him to get things done. He loves God and I admire his desire to keep getting closer to God.

I love that he is completely selfless and committed. I remember when I was pregnant, he showed up to every single doctor’s appointment I had. I thought that was normal but when my doctor and I had a little chit-chat she told me that I really have a great husband because he showed up to the appointments and other women would be so happy to have that.

From day one Omar has been a true gentleman and that has continued to this very day in our marriage. It may seem small, but he opens doors for me, pulls my chair out at a table, and holds my hands when we’re out together. Even though our son is a year old, we’re still adjusting to life with the addition to our family, and with that he has taken on a second job which begins in the night in caring for Jo. Almost every night Omar carries out Jo’s bedtime routine and handles the night-time feedings. I’m truly blessed to have a partner like him.

A systems administrator at a major financial institution, Omar also gushed about his love for Roxanne.

Omar: The first thing that attracted me to Roxanne was her intellect. Scratch that, that’s the second thing. The first was that she was smoking hot! We attended college together and I always held the view, even to this day, that if I cannot have a decent non-superficial conversation with a woman, then there’s no way I would marry her. There was never a superficial moment in our relationship. Our courting was unconventional. I love her intellect and the fact that we could reason/argue on several controversial topics ranging from religion, finances, relationship roles, sex and family.

I highlighted religion first because when we started courting, my wife was an active member in the church. As for me, I considered myself to be an atheist. I remember always asking her tough questions about her God because I could not fathom how an intellectual like her could believe in a God as was portrayed by the church and the Bible. Roxanne held her ground and although my points seemed valid to me, she refused to capitulate her belief under the strain of my questions. But that was it, it was my disbelief, not hers. She invited me to the religious institution she called church and I reluctantly attended. Suffice it to say, I realised that I was the fool in thinking I knew more about God, faith and belief. She was and is as wise as King Solomon because she believes. She’s an independent thinker and I will always appreciate that.

FFM: How has your marriage or family been affected by the COVID-19 crisis?

Roxanne: Omar would sometimes work from home once per week and I would look forward to that, so with this crisis I’m happy he has the ability to work from home. Even though he’s working I know for sure that he’s safe and Josiah and I (mostly Josiah) can pop in on him. I know for sure that Josiah loves having his daddy home more often — daddy is his playmate because I cannot handle the rough playing that he loves.

Omar: To piggyback on what Roxanne said, the best part about this crisis for me is the ability it gives me to spend more time with the people I love. I love when Josiah wakes up to see me. He greets me with a big smile, showing his four little pegs. I love making breakfast for my wife and being present to serve them however I can. There’s nothing more important to me than my family and if I could permanently work from home I would be a happy camper.

FFM: What are you doing to keep your family’s spirits up during this crisis?

Omar & Roxanne: Our business is centred around plant-based nutritional supplements and environmentally friendly disinfectant cleaners so we are not worried. We have been on our vitamins and we also practise proper hygiene and maintain a healthy distance from others, especially during this time. At home we go for walks or we have a break for play time with Josiah.

FFM: Do you have any relational challenges working from home especially with the added responsibility of a baby?

Roxanne: We love it! No complaints on my end, after all I got married to spend my life and time with my husband. So with him not having to commute to and from work five days per week and work 40-50 hours weekly, this is a welcomed change. It also eases some of the pressure on me in caring for Josiah. When I need to complete a task or need a break to rest, Omar fills in for me. The only challenge that we’ve encountered is that because Josiah and I have a routine, when he sees daddy that routine gets thrown out the door because he wants to play and be in what daddy is doing. That can be distracting especially when Omar has critical and time-sensitive tasks to get done.

Omar: Not at all. Roxanne alluded to the fact that family is one of our highest values and we got married to spend our life together. Too often husbands and wives spend more time at work than they do at home with their family and that in itself could be problematic because an experience is something that cannot be explained fully, it has to be experienced. Therefore, when a husband has a shared experience with another co-worker and vice versa, then terms such as “work husband” and “work wife” start to emerge. Being home now affords us to spend more time together. If I have a deadline, I hide from Jo to complete it.

Learn more about Omar & Roxanne’s breath of fresh love at familyandfaithmagazine.com.

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