People and relationships come and go, and there are not many greater feelings than finding something you want to hold onto forever.

On Tuesday — after we put out next week’s paper — we will go celebrate my wife’s sixth 25th birthday.

Now, I know there’s only so many times a person can turn 25, and we may be stretching the limit, but no one turns a quarter-century like Jordan (maybe say a prayer for me for putting it that way, though).

From the ages of 15-30, I had gone through three long-term relationships, the first two virtually back-toback from 15-20, and another lasting about a year right after moving here in 2014.

I spent many years single, searching for my soulmate but failing to find her. Truth be told, there was a combination of factors that led to those relationship deserts in my life.

First and foremost, I was building a career. After graduating college and getting my first reporting job at The Daily Citizen in Searcy, Ark., I considered myself married to my work.

More personally, I also suffered from a lack of self-confidence, especially when it came to approaching the fairer sex. As a former college soccer player who became about 50 pounds overweight, I struggled to accept if anyone would want me.

In early August 2018, she found me. Jordan applied for the Democrat’s reporting job that had been open for a couple of months. She walked in for her interview wearing a colorful, stylish outfit that we’ll say drew my attention. Her beauty was never in doubt.

With no writing experience but the most can-do, will-learn attitude I had ever seen from a reporter, she would become my fourth at the Democrat in only four years — barely.

I groaned at the thought of having to teach a person journalism from the ground up. It’s not something anyone can step in and do.

My boss at the time overruled my objections. “I’ve got a good feeling about her,” she said. “Also, she’s quite the looker.”

That feeling was right, and the compliment was deserved.

Not only did Jordan pick up news and feature writing like it was nothing, but she was a single mother with a 3-year-old and managed her time and efforts brilliantly.

My view of her quickly developed from, “Yeah, she’s pretty cute,” to, “Wow, what an amazing woman.”

After only a couple of months, I knew I was in trouble. I had to remain professional and respectful at all times, no matter how amazing I thought Jordan was.

Through my couple weeks training her and working together to cover events at times, we were falling for one another — but neither of us would say it.

However, we did have Darlene Wierman playing a little bit of matchmaker on our behalf.

It took five full months before we worked up the gall to spend time together outside of the workplace. After just a couple of dates, we knew we had to tell our boss.

The funny part is, she already knew — had a feeling again that was right.

As we enter our fifth year together and will soon celebrate our third wedding anniversary, I gleam with joy and pride when I look at our family and all we’ve built and created since joining forces.

We now have two beautiful, intelligent, mostly graceful daughters; Jordan graduated in May with her Bachelor’s in general psychology and plans to pursue a Master’s in family therapy; and we purchased a newspaper in a community we love dearly, owing all we have to this area and our family and friends near and far.

And, we have big plans for our future. We are working on multiple ways to expand our business (more to come on that in the future), and our long-term goals include walking out our back door to a beach one day.

I didn’t know what had hit me back in 2018, but I’m forever grateful it did. With Jordan by my side, I feel like we can do anything, even though it sometimes frightens me to take on so much.

For many years, I got the, “Well when you gonna find a girlfriend?” from family around the holidays. I always said, “I’ve tried looking; she’ll come when she comes.”

On Sept. 12, 1992, I was all of 4 years old, and it was the greatest day of my life without my knowing it.

Here’s to many more 25th birthdays and memories to come with the woman of my dreams. I’m happy she found me.

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.