We're in part three of our gratitude series, and this one's about what happens when life is grinding you down. When you're exhausted, burnt out, working different shifts, tag-teaming everything, and somehow your partner ends up last on the list.

We've been there. We went through a long stretch where we were both so deep in the grind we almost lost each other. It was the small, real moments of gratitude that kept us connected when everything else was falling apart.

In this episode, we get honest about:
- How gratitude keeps you present when you're just trying to survive
- Why gratitude isn't about being positive — it's about being truthful
- The practice that helped us rebuild when we were at our lowest
- How choosing each other when it's hard creates lasting love
- A powerful study from the Gottman Institute about what actually keeps couples together (86% vs 33%)
- Our bedtime gratitude ritual that shifts the whole day

**GOTTMAN INSTITUTE STUDY BREAKDOWN:**
The Gottman Institute studied married couples for 6 years. When partners made small gestures (like "Can you watch this video with me?"), they found three response types:
1. Turn TOWARDS (give attention)
2. Turn AWAY (ignore)
3. Turn AGAINST (dismiss/fight)

Couples who STAYED MARRIED turned towards their partner 86% of the time.
Couples who DIVORCED turned towards only 33% of the time.

**THIS WEEK'S PRACTICE:**
Before bed, share one real moment of gratitude with your partner. If you're not in a relationship, share it with a friend or say it to yourself in the mirror. Gratitude isn't just about feeling it — it's about naming it. Try it for seven days and see what shifts.
**WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:**
What's one small, real moment of gratitude from your week? Not "I'm grateful for my family" — we want the tiny thing. Like "My partner brought me coffee without me asking" or "I sat in my car for five minutes and nobody bothered me." Drop it in the comments or DM us.
**🎧 30-DAY GRATITUDE CHALLENGE:**
We launched a 30-day gratitude challenge on November 1st! Join us in practicing gratitude that's real, not performative.

**📍 SHOUTOUT:**
Shane Boys - Craft Hawaiian BBQ & Shave Ice.
Lillian, Texas / MON - FRI, 11-3 / IG: @shaneboys

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

You can be grateful for what your parents gave you and still need something different for yourself. Both can be true.

In this episode, we get real about the weight immigrant and first/second-gen kids carry; the guilt that comes with gratitude when your parents sacrificed everything so you could have more.

We talk about obligation versus choice, the cultural pressure to repeat your parents' struggles, and what it really means to honor their sacrifice without staying stuck. We share personal stories about deserving abundance, breaking out of blue-collar expectations, and making big life choices when family obligations are heavy.

This isn't about being ungrateful. It's about building on the foundation your family laid and not repeating their struggle.

IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why gratitude and guilt get tangled up for first/second-gen families

· The difference between survival mode and abundance mindset

· How cultural concepts like "utang na loob" shape your choices

· When obligation becomes a prison instead of love

· How to communicate boundaries without dishonoring your family

· Real gratitude practices that feel authentic (not performative)

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Nicole Cruz - Grace's life coach who teaches about honoring your parents' foundation while building your own life
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolecruzcoaching/

Dr. Marinette Asuncion-Uy, Psy.D. - Filipino psychologist/psychotherapist with a program on "utang na loob." 🌿 Roots & Rebirth: Healing the Filipino Inner Child
A 30-day guided journey and soul fundraiser.
Live circles on Dec 8 & 15 | 10 AM or 8 PM EST.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.brown.psych/

SHARE THIS EPISODE with the friend who's always performing strength, the sister who's always saying "I'm fine."

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

We're kicking off our 3-part gratitude series this November, and we're starting where it matters most: the dinner table.

Thanksgiving hits different when you're first or second-gen. Your parents tried to blend in with turkey and stuffing, but the rice and beans still showed up. The pancit made an appearance. The traditions collided. And honestly? That's the beauty of it.

In this episode, we're talking about what it means to celebrate holidays when your family comes from multiple cultures. How do you honor where you came from while building something new? What does gratitude look like when you're navigating immigrant guilt, family expectations, and a holiday that wasn't built for your story?

Steve and Grace get real about their own Thanksgiving experiences; from Grace's mom never making turkey to Steve's family blending Puerto Rican dishes with "American" traditions. They talk about the pressure to perform, the beauty of making it your own, and why you don't owe anyone a seat at your table just because it's a holiday.

This isn't about perfection. It's about presence. It's about choosing what traditions you carry forward and which ones you leave behind.

If you're doing our 30-Day Gratitude Challenge with us, keep going. Tag us @thelovesuite.podcast and use #LoveSuite30Days so we can celebrate with you.

Next week: Part 2 — Gratitude Without Guilt.

---

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @thelovesuite.podcast
💬 Connect with Steve: @Limon413
💬 Connect with Grace: @thegracerobles
💌 Email us: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com 👥 Join our Blended & Blessed Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17ehBnWDGZ/

🔗 More ways to connect: linktr.ee/thelovesuite.podcast

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

In this episode, we get real about what it takes to love someone from a different culture. From navigating family pressure and religious differences to blending traditions and raising multicultural kids; we break it all down.

This isn't theory. This is our life.

What We Cover:
• Why people date within their culture (and why that's changing)
• The real challenges of multicultural relationships
• How to navigate family resistance and cultural expectations
• Teaching your kids both cultures without dilution
• Food, religion, rituals and what's worth compromising on
• Why your love isn't a betrayal. It's a bridge

From gun-wielding fathers to Greek landlords, Filipino Christmas lasting 200 days, and the non-negotiable shoes-off rule. We've lived it all.

If you're Black, Brown, Asian, Latinx, Caribbean, immigrant, first-gen, second-gen, or just trying to love someone whose world looks different from yours this one's for you.

Our listeners? You are us. You carry beauty in your roots. You carry stories in your blood.

We don't preach. We don't sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Let's celebrate life because when it's rooted in love, truth, and legacy, it gets carried forward for generations. Our descendants will know love deeper because of how we lived it now.

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @thelovesuite.podcast
💌 Email us: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com
🎧 Tap in for more: linktr.ee/thelovesuite.podcast

This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

Just because you said I do doesn't mean your eyes stop working. Attraction doesn't end when you get married. It just changes what you do with it.

In this episode, we get raw about attraction in marriage. That pull you feel toward someone else. The spark that shows up uninvited. What it's really showing you about yourself and your relationship.

You'll hear the water metaphor. Why someone can look so good when you're thirsty for attention at home. The 10% trap. That moment when you're ready to trade your 90% for someone who's only filling a tiny piece of what you actually need. We share what first attracted us to each other and how we navigate attraction outside our marriage.

We get into modern temptations. The coworker situation where attention gets confused with connection. The gym flirt when your partner is working long hours. Scrolling social media for flirtation because you're bored. These situations are real.

We also talk culture. Puerto Rican fire. Filipino strength. The cheesecake test that's been going viral. What it says about boundaries, trust, and where the line is between protecting your relationship and letting jealousy run the show.

The truth is attraction is normal. Acting on it is a choice. Your commitment doesn't cancel desire. It just redirects it. So when was the last time you felt that spark outside your relationship? What was it really showing you? Sit with that. Be honest with yourself.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: Your eyes still work after I do

10:00 What first attracted us to each other

25:00 Marcus and Lila: The coworker situation

29:00 Tina and James: The gym flirt

31:00 The water metaphor

40:00 The music conversation

42:00 The 90% vs 10% breakdown

54:00 The reconnection check-in

57:00 Cultural perspectives: The cheesecake test

01:05:00 Closing: Attraction is normal, acting on it is a choice

Love yourself well. Love each other well. Catch ya in the next episode. 💜

#TheLoveSuite #AttractionInMarriage #The10PercentTrap #MarriageRealTalk #RoblesCoaching

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

Friendship inside love can be beautiful until it starts to feel blurry.

In this episode we talk about what happens when “just a friend” starts sounding different. We unpack boundaries, emotional safety, and how our pasts, cultures, and attachment styles shape what feels threatening or secure in a relationship.

From same sex friendships to coworkers that get too close to nights out with single friends, we get into it all. We look at how culture plays a part, why some of us were raised to keep the peace, while others were taught to share everything.

This is not about control. It is about clarity, respect, and learning how to protect your love without losing yourself.

Real love does not mean cutting people off. It means knowing where the line is and staying honest about how you feel when it is crossed.

🎧 Listen now: “Just a Friend? The Remix on Boundaries and Trust.”

#TheLoveSuitePodcast #LoveLegacy #ReconnectionCode #EmotionalIntimacy #MulticulturalMarriage #HealthyRelationships #SteveAndGrace #LongTermLove #RelationshipCoaching #RoblesCoaching

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

Storms have hit our marriage. Illness. Betrayal. Grief. Money struggles. Parenting crises. We learned the hardest part is not always the storm itself. It is the aftershocks when the dust settles and you are left asking, what now?

In this episode of The Love Suite Podcast we open up about the storms we have survived. From our son Caleb’s near fatal motorcycle accident to the long road of rebuilding trust after deep breaks. We share how we found ways to heal, reconnect, and grow stronger when everything felt fragile.

We have been married more than 20 years. Our love is shaped by multicultural roots, New York grit, and the daily choice to keep showing up for each other. From check ins to apologies without excuses, from honoring grief to tending love like a garden, we want to show you what it looks like to choose love after the storm.

If you have ever wondered how to begin again when it feels impossible, this conversation is for you.

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...

In this episode of The Love Suite, Steve and Grace get raw about one of the biggest tests in any relationship. MONEY. From childhood memories of Vienna sausages, rice and ketchup, and balikbayan boxes, to hustling through multiple jobs and checking each other’s bills before marriage, they reveal how money is never just about dollars.

It’s about trust.
It’s about culture.
It’s about intimacy.

They break down how second-gen hustle and immigrant sacrifice shaped their money mindset, why couples fight about money when it’s really about fear and power, and the rituals they use to shift from survival mode to building legacy together.

This episode closes with a blessing for all couples learning to see money as sacred. It is a tool for love, not fear, for legacy, not just survival.

If you’ve ever argued about money in your marriage, this one will hit home.

Share what you vibed with. We would love to hear!

📸 Instagram: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Limon413

Grace: @TheGraceRobles

📘 Facebook: @TheLoveSuite.Podcast

Steve: @Steven.Robles.756

Grace: @Grobles1

👥 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

Facebook Group: Blended & Blessed (for multicultural couples)
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQ6UT3g9/

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheLoveSuite
💌 Got thoughts, questions, or your own story to share? Email us at: TheLoveSuite.Podcast@gmail.com

🎧 Tap in for more: The Love Suite Linktree

__

✨Married over 20 years. Parents of four. Survivors of trauma, grief, betrayal, burnout and proof that love can still last.

This podcast is where Brooklyn grit meets Queens heart. We keep it raw about marriage, parenting, money, intimacy, and culture. We don’t preach. We don’t sugarcoat. We tell the truth about what it really takes to stay connected when life gets real.

Grace brings depth from her journey as a Filipina mother, nurse, coach, and survivor. Steve brings the layered view of a Puerto Rican husband, father, and law enforcement officer who’s still learning to speak his heart out loud.

We’re not perfect. We’re still choosing each other every day.

You already know what it is. This is The Love Suite. Pull up. 💜

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for l...