Happy Birthday to my Best Friend
God poured out His richest blessings on me when He gave me Betty to be my wife, friend, coworker, and life partner
When I was a boy, I dreamed of marrying the perfect woman and prayed that God would bring her into my life. I knew I needed the perfect person to complete me and to help me do all that God had called me to do. Being alone was never a thought I entertained.
In 1972, I met a beautiful young girl. She was warm, friendly, intelligent, excited, and determined to do great things with her life. She was running for class president of the Freshman class. I would never have had even the remotest idea of doing such a thing. She asked for my vote, and I remember joking with her about the candy she gave with her campaign propaganda. I am sure she wouldn’t even remember that or me. I was just a vote.
I was just a country boy come to town in my mismatched clothes and cowboy boots.
She later dated one of my friends, so I got to know her better as we all hung out. After they quit dating, I spoke with a friend about asking her out. He said, “Why don’t we double date?” He was far wiser to the ways of the world and women than I was, so I jumped at the chance. We planned to go to Underground Atlanta but, for some reason, only got as far as Cartersville.
We saw the movie “What’s Up, Doc?” with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal there, and we had a blast.
Betty showed no interest in me, and maybe that caused me to chase her even more. That first date was in December 1972, and by August 1973, we were married.
The only interest Betty had in me was getting my help to take hay to her horse on a couple of occasions. She had boarded her horse near the college and needed to move hay. So, the country boy was required.
Betty has been the perfect answer to prayer. God has so richly blessed me. Together, we have served and loved people in churches from Rome, Georgia, to Tarrant, Alabama, to Marietta, to Cartersville, Georgia, to Alpharetta, Georgia, to Queretaro, Mexico, and Arequipa, Peru.
She has always been by my side. She has been the best pastor, missionary wife I could ever imagine.
She has been the best friend I have ever had. As a wife, she is my life, and there is no better. As a homemaker, she has been the best. She has made us comfortable in three different countries. As a mom to four, she was ideal. I saw nothing she couldn’t do, from driving all over the world to learning a language to teaching and speaking to cooking, counseling, and many more things.
Those four children had 20 children. Now, 4 of our grandchildren are married, and we have a great-granddaughter and another on the way.
Today is Betty’s birthday. We have been married for nearly 52 years. She has been my anchor, my everything through cancer well, not through, but during and in COVID and much chaos. She has never wavered.
If I could live my life over, I would consider no one else as my wife, life partner, everything.
Thank you, Betty, for being my best friend, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, coworker, and more for all these years. Have a very Happy Birthday.
God has blessed us so richly. We have lived a life many only dream of and few ever see. I think it has been a blessed and charmed life, and without you, I could never have had all I have had for so many years. Love you, and happy birthday.