“FOR I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
This bible verse stands as a cornerstone for the Tullahoma couple, Raquel and Coleman March. Married for 33 years, the couple has celebrated the ups of married life and weathered the downs. Their success over three decades of marriage is attributed to their strong faith and dedication to each other.
BAND CAMP LEADS TO DESTINY
Raquel remembers well when she met the man who would become her future husband.
“We met at Tennessee State University (TSU) in 1987,” she said. “Both of us were incoming freshmen in the TSU Aristocrat of Bands. We loved band.”
Raquel added that her first impression of Coleman was that he was “a little stuck up,” but she was still interested in learning more about him. That interest would grow once she found out that she had unknowingly known him most of her life.
“A couple of weeks before school actually starts at TSU, you’re in band camp, and we had to get up and introduce ourselves,” she explained. “I said I was from Murfreesboro, and he got up and said he was from Lynchburg. I begin to think. My stepdad’s grandmother lived in Lynchburg, and we would go at least three times a year to see her and visit during the summer. We’d sit on the front porch and eat pie. There was a neighbor who had kids, and this little boy would be riding his bike up and down the street, and I noticed that.”
After some further investigation and reminiscing, Raquel realized that Coleman was, in fact, the little boy that she had seen riding up and down the street all those years ago. Their paths had crossed long before college, as if destiny had been quietly weaving them together.
The two came together almost instantly and were engaged by their sophomore year, but their love story wasn’t without detours. Coleman said when Raquel struggled with side effects from an allergy medicine she was taking, it made her self‑conscious about her looks. Pulling away and not wanting him to see her that way, a young and unsure Coleman decided to break things off. They spent three years apart.
“That was the most miserable three years of my life,” he said. “I would always pray, ‘Lord, you just give me another chance. I promise I’ll do this, I promise I’ll do that.’ And He did give us another chance. From that day on, I haven’t looked back since.”
TRIALS THAT TESTED THEIR FAITH
Coleman and Raquel’s marriage, like any, has weathered its share of storms. Coleman recalled one of the hardest seasons for the couple.
“In 2010, I had a bout with depression because I had lost my job, and fell down on myself,” he said. “In addition to that, I was a partner in a business here in Tullahoma, and the business basically went belly up, and we got stuck with taxes. I was worried about how we were going to make ends meet. I know it was hard for Raquel, but she hung in there with me until I received counseling and the proper treatment for depression. That was almost 16 years ago. She’s a very strong woman.”
Raquel said that time in their marriage only made her more resolved to work through things and to stand by Coleman.
“Coleman and I were raised the same way,” she stated. “Our parents were basically similar in that you don’t give up when you’re married to someone. You honor your vows, and you say, ‘In sickness and health [until] death do us part.’ I also wanted to make sure that he’s OK. To think that you would leave somebody over something like that when they need people the most is hard to do. I enjoy being there for him and being his support.”
For the couple, faith was their anchor, and their belief in God carried them through.
WHAT KEEPS THEM TOGETHER
When asked what he loves most about Raquel, Coleman said it’s without a doubt, Raquel’s personality, and that she’s only improved over the years.
“Her personality,” he said. “She’s beautiful inside and out. When she looks in the mirror, she probably sees she’s changed a little, but I don’t look at it that way. If there are any changes, they have only advanced what was already there in the first place. We were friends before we became lovers. That’s the most beautiful part of her — her personality and inner strengths.”
Raquel, in turn, admires Coleman’s gift of connection.
“One of the things I love most about Coleman — and there are several — but one of the things I love most is how he connects with people,” she explained. “It doesn’t matter where we are, we could be at the grocery store, we could be at church, we could be with family. He’s always got that connection, and people are drawn to him because he’s so encouraging. And I want to be like him. Having him in my life helps me not to be so standoffish. Seeing Coleman with people, I see him as drawing people in, and I want to be like he is — caring and encouraging to other people.”
As a pastor at Shorter Chapel AME in Tullahoma, Coleman often counsels couples. His advice is simple but profound: “Communicate, communicate, communicate. Don’t let everybody in your business because some people don’t mean you well,” Coleman said.
Raquel agrees, reminding couples that prayer and faith are essential. Their marriage is proof that proof that love withstands storms, heals wounds, and grows stronger with time. GN
