Today is mine and Elaine’s 37th anniversary. I should only be 37 years old, yet we all know that isn’t true. When we got married I was 20 years old and Elaine was 19. I have often said that the greatest sales pitch I ever made was the one where I talked her father into letting me marry his 19 year old daughter. Ha.

Elaine and I met in high school during the fall of our junior year in Mrs. Underwood’s science class. I played football and Elaine was on the drill team. We were both just kids and we started talking and joking with each other all while listening to Mrs. Underwood dribble on something I didn’t understand.

Later that fall after we met, I just decided one Sunday evening after church to go over to her house. She didn’t know I was coming over. I knocked on the door and met her father Max Phillips and the impression I instantly got was, don’t step out of line with my daughter! Anyway, I was in the kitchen and Max called Elaine’s grandmother’s house which was next door to tell Elaine she had a visitor. Well here I was in the kitchen wondering why I was in the kitchen of a girl that hadn’t invited when in through the door Elaine walks in with her brother Wayne. I didn’t know Wayne was her brother and didn’t know he was just 13 months younger than Elaine. To me, he looked like her boyfriend and again, I wondered just exactly what I had gotten myself into.

Later that evening when I was leaving we were standing beside my red Corvair and we kissed for the first time. I won’t say that I knew that night she was going to be my wife, but I will tell that I knew that night I wanted a wife and life companion like her.

We married today, 37 years ago and we have a great life together. We have two married daughters and two granddaughters and two great son in-laws and God has had his hand on us from that first night at her house. We have been through many things together including almost a 10 year period where we were broke and working to get of debt and to have enough money at the end of the month.

The bible speaks of having a virtuous wife and the value of an honest wife. I can tell you that the bible is absolutely true in every aspect but especially true about this. Elaine is that Virtuous woman. She is kind, beautiful, loving, principled, attentive and incredible insightful and intelligent.

I could write 10 pages on what our life together has been like but Elaine is the bride of youth and today we celebrate 37 years of marriage. KT