This is an equal opportunity Substack. Other important people get to have a voice. So, the pattern will be that the spouse who was introduced the prior week will have a chance to share the following week. The wives will express some of their thoughts regarding Core. Their views and contributions to Core over the years are invaluable and incalculable. First up, Hollee.
Hollee
I am entering the story with a little virtual curtsy because I’m not exactly sure how to enter it! To be clear, Will invited me to this party. Still, I’m feeling kind of shy upon arrival. A detail that builds my confidence is that I’m writing this on the day Will turns 57, so I’ll look at this as my birthday gift to him. My husband Krue, offered his standard birthday fare of pointing out to Will that 57, although it can seem like one, is NOT a prime number. So, with these gifts, albeit strange…..Happy birthday dear friend! I’m so glad we’ve walked 37 of those years as friends.
Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Hollee and I have the distinct honor of being the woman who shares the longest history with Core. I also attended Vanderbilt University, but as I am a grade younger than these guys, they were already in full swing by the time I got there - but not by much! In short, we go way back. The plot thickens if we rewind a little further to high school, where I knew Neal, Jeff and Hamilton, as well as my favorite member of Core, Krue. (side note: I was tempted to begin this with the joke of acting like someone’s mistress, giving clues along the way to build suspense around who this lady is and as a mistress, who she might be sleeping with to which the wholehearted and forever answer is Krue).
We, and I have to kind of pinch myself every time I say it, have been married 35 years. If you’re doing your math right (and if you need help, ask Krue) that puts our wedding right in the middle of our college years. And to do more math, Krue and I started dating 4 years before that, which puts us right in high school -right there with Neal and Jeff and Hamilton from the get-go. It was one weekend in my senior year of high school while visiting Vanderbilt that I met the Navy ensign and Frat guy, Bryant and Will, respectively. And thus for me, the story of Core began.
Fast forwarding to this present day, I adore and value each of these men and the women who have joined their lives with them. It’s making for a long and rich story indeed. And at the risk of sounding corny, this story of Core has proven to be a core narrative. One of long-term friendship and living out Love. I am very thankful for the commitment of these guys and how there is more love in the world because of it.
PS - In reference to the entry: “WATERFALL”, the origin story is important. Core was able to have moments at that sliding rock because the Chattanooga guys knew about it. And they knew about it because my friend Amy and I had shared it with them. Fun to trace that back because herein lies another shoutout to long-term (like since birth) friendship…I love you Amos!
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Further enjoyment:
Here is an article written about Hollee https://www.mountainmirror.com/happenings/brock-realizes-life-is-a-pilgrimage
Here is a podcast created by Hollee