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February 17, 2021
Anthony Jordan wasn’t Tom Cruise and Bridgette Thornton wasn’t Renee Zellweger, but he did kind of have her at “Hello.”
That first greeting was years in the making from the time they went to middle school together to when Bridgette popped up as a “friend you may know” on Anthony’s Facebook feed. But as soon as they started exchanging messages, it all clicked immediately.
“We knew right away that we were perfect together, and this was ‘it’ for both of us,” Anthony said.
The same wit that brought them together through a month of Facebook chats now defines their relationship. Anthony and Bridgette also found they had the same values and were in similar positions in life with their kids. But in the end, their relationship has been built on senses of humor that Anthony says “are absolutely identical.”
“I’ve never laughed so hard with somebody in my life,” he said. “We keep each other on our toes. Her big thing is, if you can make her laugh, you’re 90% there. We were laughing at the very beginning.”
Don’t let the laughter fool you about Bridgette, though.
She is a boss when she needs to be with her investment projects and with her kids, Payton (21), Griffin (19) and Grant (17). Bridgette also loves and accepts Anthony’s daughters, Josie (12) and Ellie (10).
Her love of family and business collided recently when Bridgette struggled to find an acceptable school to fit Grant’s needs with his autism, so she started one of her own. Bridgette also invested in a T-shirt company called Fow-Wow Designs and in a service called Open Door that places autistic adults into jobs and careers.
“She is very driven, very independent and very smart, and she’s a really good mother,” Anthony said.
It’s quite a combination that Anthony just feels fortunate to have stumbled across on Facebook. They still live in different cities while life gets sorted out, but their love of laughter is as powerful as ever and they remain committed to seeing each other every weekend.
Even through the craziness of long-distance love, Anthony has found that Bridgette has made him a much better person. She does it with encouragement and support, but also just helping him to see the big picture with his family, career and relationship. Anthony is more clear-eyed than ever, and he owes that to Bridgette.
“There’s always been a focus on the kids and my job, but now with her, there’s just a bigger-picture focus,” he said. “She brings it all together for me.”
Together is a place Anthony loves to be with Bridgette. No matter what they’re doing or where they’re going, her love and quick wit make it a happier destination for Anthony.
“Everything’s better with Bridgette,” he said. “She makes everything better. She absolutely improves mine and my kids’ lives.”
