Couple with 53-year age difference celebrate fourth wedding anniversary

A 21-year-old man who married a woman 53 years his senior has shared an Instagram tribute to the 74-year-old on their fourth wedding anniversary.

The couple met when Gary was 17-years-old and Almeda was 71 and married in 2015, two weeks after Almeda's son Robert passed away.

In the post, shared to the couple's shared Instagram account, Gary wrote that he never knew it was possible to love someone so deeply.

"Four years ago on this very day, I gave my heart and my soul to the woman who steals it over and over again everyday," his caption reads.

"My love for you goes beyond this world and deeper than the ocean. We've been through ups and downs together that we always overcame, looking back, it truly only made us stronger."

"Because of you, I look forward to waking up each morning and working hard so we can achieve our goals and dreams.

"You make me so proud each and everyday and you are truly the most strongest woman I've ever known. You motivate me to the fullest. You are absolutely beautiful inside and out."

Gary credited Almeda for helping him "turn his life around" and for "changing him into who [he is] now".

"You are not only my wife but also my best friend. I prayed to God to make you my wife and today, four years later, I can say God has given me more than what I could have ever prayed for," he wrote.

"I promise you to love you unconditionally and shower you with all the care and concern you desire until my last breath."

Gary finished his tribute by saying, "I am so grateful for your love every single day. I love you with all my heart Mrs. Hardwick".

Their followers responded to the post with words of support.

"There isn't enough love in the world. And there is way too much negativity. Ignore the haters, they will always see the negative. Happy Anniversary," one user wrote.

Another comment read, "You make a beautiful couple. I found my soulmate when we were kids, we grew up together and have been married 35 years".