When Jim Larsen called to ask me on our first date, I nearly said no … and almost let the greatest man in my life pass me by. Almost 40 years later, he’s become my lifelong hero. Who’s been a hero in your life? #BeyondMyWildest

The first time I met him … apparently I didn’t remember him. As a tired, overworked, young single mom, my friend had convinced me to get out of the house to do something, anything fun. We went to a dance. I got a phone call the next day.

“Peggy, this is Jim Larsen. We met and danced last night.”

His voice was deep; he sounded like he was from Texas.

“What do you look like?”

He explained he was blond, 6-foot-four.

“I danced with one guy. He was blond, but about 5-foot-three. I don’t recall meeting you. How did you get my number?”

He didn’t give up. So I gave in. It sounded nice to have some­thing other than pot pies or spaghetti.

That was over 40 years ago, and I’m still enjoying dinners with Jim Larsen. As anyone who’s read my memoir, Beyond My Wildest, knows, our past four decades have been filled with life’s highest of highs and lowest of lows, but through it all he been there … Jim, my rock, my inspiration.

When I came home with the idea of opening our own insurance business, Jim was all in. When we lost our baby daughter Amber, he was strong. When I’ve rescued my son Randy from the depths of addiction, Jim has stood by my side. When I’ve taken on bigger roles at WCF Insurance, Jim has stepped in to help even more with our grandson Zach.

My big hero and little hero … Jim and our grandson Zach

And now that I’ve dared to share my life’s journey in my first book, Jim’s been my biggest cheerleader – and I might just have to call him my book agent. He’s worked hard to help bring the book to fruition. When I was writing, he helped flesh out the memories, the stories from over the years. When I felt like dodging the hard stuff (writing about losing Amber, for instance), he wouldn’t let me wiggle out of it. (He even made me head back to the cabin on an Alaskan cruise when it was time to finish a few chapters!)

Now that it’s published, he’s gotten the book placed in great shops like The King’s English and on Amazon.com. He lets everyone know about it everywhere he goes, proud to share its message of hope and love. And he’s committed to the same mission I am – helping raise money for our foundation, AmberCo Services, to help struggling mothers and young women in need.

So I’d just like to give a huge round of applause to the man who’s made everything in my life possible, my hero, Jim Larsen. Who’s been a hero in your life? Post it and let everyone know! #BeyondMyWildest

Read more about our journey together in my book – and help support our cause of helping struggling mothers and young women in need. Visit www.beyondmywildest.com.