Rita Smith, 62, also known as “Auntie Riri” on TikTok, is not shy about proclaiming her love for her husband Theodore “Theo” Smith, 64. Over the past year, Rita has gone viral on TikTok for unapologetically sharing how she and her husband maintain the spark in their decades-long relationship.
The Smiths’ love story began when they were teenagers. Living in the same neighborhood on the same street, Rita, who was almost 15 at the time, recalled how Theo, who was 17, pursued her.
“He was seeking me out, and finally, he asked for my number. I gave it to him, and he called me the next day [because] he said he was trying to play hard [to get],” Rita told theGrio. “Ever since then, we’ve been together.”
Celebrating 43 years of marriage this Valentine’s Day, it was only recently that Rita found out exactly what made her husband choose her out of all the other girls in the neighborhood so many years ago.
“It was just that confidence you had about yourself,” Theo revealed to her in a TikTok video. “This girl, I just had to have her. She knew where she was going and what she wanted; that’s what kept me pursuing her.”
From that day forward, the rest was history. Dating throughout high school, the couple admits their journey was not always smooth sailing. Despite the little breakups here and there, Rita explained how the two always found their way back to each other — which she believes was largely because of how much Theo wanted to be with her. In addition to their love for one another, Theo explained how communication was the secret to overcoming any growing pains in their relationship. Rita wholeheartedly agreed.
“People always ask that question, and I always tell them [it was] my faith, my faith in God first. That goes without saying because I’m [a] person, I pray about everything. I don’t care how small or how large,” she said, also highlighting the importance of listening and staying tuned…
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