Often referred to as the ‘Rainbow Nation’ for its racial and cultural diversity, South Africa prepares to be painted red as diverse couples shower each other and celebrate their love ahead of Valentine’s Day on Friday, 14 February.
Built on a decade-long relationship, young couple Leonard and Kimara Solms embody the ‘rainbow nation’ and shared what love means. Leonard said that love starts with chemistry between people but as time goes on, it becomes more about the conscious choice to be teammates. If there are good times, they share them together. If there are problems, it’s them versus the problem.
“Kimara is the best thing that ever happened to me. When I first met her, she gave me confidence that I lacked before. Year 9 with someone is very different to Year 1 but she’s still my compass. I can remember a time when I was losing my passion for my writing and struggling to see a point in anything when my career wasn’t going the way I hoped, but I saw the way she was waking up for her long runs and gym sessions before work so that she could chase her dreams of being a competitive athlete. It just reminded me that just because things weren’t working out the way I wanted in a moment didn’t mean there was no hope in the bigger picture.”
He said things are going better for him at work, and he thinks it’s because she once again instilled belief without even trying. “The person you choose to spend your life with impacts you in so many ways and many of them are so subtle but so important. I’m so glad I chose the best I could ever have had,” he concluded.
Kimara said that her interracial relationship was something new to her grandparents, but not an issue for her parents as they accepted and loved him immensely. “The most important thing was that I was with someone who cared for me and loved me for me,” she concluded.
