Phil Bonasso: A Love Story by Phil's wife

(Hi Guys! My wife wanted to post some encouraging thoughts about the Lord's hand in guiding us to each other. I hope you enjoy her keen insights!)

I keep a picture of Phil Bonasso on my desk. I suppose many couples do that. But my picture is of him in his basketball uniform as a high school athlete. I didn’t know Phil then. He went to a high school in Alabama: I went to a high school in Pennsylvania. Not only were our schools far from each other but the lives we led before I knew Phil were also very “far apart” experientially.

I am the oldest of seven children. Phil Bonasso is the youngest of five children. I lived in one place all my life. He lived in Kansas, West Virginia, London, England, Germany, and Alabama. His father was an officer in the Army.

In high school I was a very conscientious straight A student, a cheerleader, a class officer and very naïve. Phil was not at all concerned about grades, played basketball, was student body president and very “street smart”. If you know anything about high school politics a class officer is very different than a student body president. A class officer pretty much works like an ambassador of the Administration whereas the student body president works for the rights of the students. At that time in history the “rights” were usually things that were not allowed like wearing jeans, smoking, free class periods, etc. I think you get the picture that Phil and I approached school in a very different way.

I keep the picture of Phil Bonasso on my desk and I tell my children that it is a picture of my high school sweetheart…

To be continued…