By Anita Debro
Special to the Birmingham Times
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column or know someone who would, please send nominations to Ariel Worthy at aworthy@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
Solomon Crenshaw Jr. photos
SHERRETTA AND JAMES WHITELY
Live: Belview Heights
Married: April 20, 2002
Met: James and Sherretta first met at Wenonah High School in the 10th grade. But Sherretta left Wenonah and transferred to West End High School. The two would meet again when they both started working at University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. They saw each other during orientation. “Hey what’s happening,” James said to Sherretta. “When I saw him I said to myself, that is going to be my husband,” Sherretta said. James was not yet convinced.
The two became good friends at work but nothing romantic happened. Sherretta showed up at James’ house for the On the Fourth of July holiday. “She looked different,” he recalled. “I was like who is that?”
Sherretta said: “I didn’t have my work scrubs on.” After that visit, James asked her out.
First date: The couple went to the movies for their first date.
The proposal: After dating for about one year, James knew it was time to ask Sherretta to marry him. James said she was not sure that he wanted to get too involved in the relationship because she already had two sons. “I talked to God about it and God told me she was my wife. And then I talked to her dad.” On that day, which was also Sherretta’s birthday, James took her to Red Lobster and then to East Lake Park. He played some music, read her a poem and then asked her to marry him. “I didn’t know he was going to do that,” she said.
The wedding: The two were married at Hopewell Baptist Church.
Words of wisdom: “Keep God first,” James said. “And sometimes you have to just roll with the punches.”
Sherretta said: “You must keep God on the forefront and communication is also very important. Men have to learn to listen.” She added: “And you can’t address every situation, you have to see and don’t see.”
Sherretta also said that it is important to consider each other’s upbringing and how that will affect the marriage. She said that both had different expectations of each other’s roles in the marriage based on how they were raised. It wasn’t until they had some misunderstandings that they had to communicate what each one expected from the other.
Happily ever after: The Whitelys have four children — two boys and two girls. They enjoy singing together at church, anniversary parties and birthday parties. “Somebody asked us to sing at a wedding once,” Sherretta said on their start at singing for special occasions. James loves sports and mentoring children. The couple started the Young Wenonah Dragons youth football team— James coached and Sherretta lead the cheerleaders. “We love to go out to eat,” he said. “And she loves to cook. She can throw down. Her cornbread is what got me,” he joked. James works at an area hospital and Sherretta works at an area bank.
