Sunday, February 28, 2010

Marks on the Wall

We had gone shopping for a pair of pants for Joe, I was scooting around checking out a variety of possibilities. I found something I thought he'd like and called him over. As he was looking at them a young couple came in. They were boys. They were in love. They were still at the giggle stage of relationship but there was something in the way they looked at each other that suggested to me that there was a core of strength in their relationship.

Joe went into the change room. I watched them as they passed me. Their hands brushed and they looked at each other. They were just boys. Maybe 20. Maybe 21. I fought the desire to envy their youth. I fought the desire to want, for a moment, the feel that the future was still so far away. I fought to center myself into a contentment to be there, now. To be here, presently.

Coming out of the change room, Joe gave me a quick nod. I decided that we should find a shirt that went with the pants and we continued to shop. In time I simply forgot the two young men and enjoyed just being out together. Over lunch and a cup of tea, we saw an elderly couple just being quietly together. I fought the urge to envy them. The peace they had together. The life they shared, resting quietly in the silence between them. They both had canes and when she got up the two of them jokingly dueled for a second with their canes. They were at the giggle stage of their relationship.

Do you remember growing up and having your height marked on a door jam? There were the pencil marks and names scribbled beside them. Marking out family members and ages. It kind of felt like that today. Couples marking various stages of their relationship. All lovely.

But what was nice was learning that what begins with giggles. Ends with giggles. Now isn't that simply a wonderful plan?

8 comments:

Jan said...

Beautiful post Dave. And if we are lucky there are lots of giggles in between too.

Heather said...

Giggles are the units of measurement for a successful relationship.
You should patent that!

wendy said...

Ah, love...grand at any stage...especially the one a person is in right now! :-)

Kristin said...

What a beautiful post. I like comparing the evolution of relationships to the marks on the wall.

Anonymous said...

Dave I think you must be able to read my mind....that post is perfect for my anxieties/feelings of today.

Thank you, yet again

Rebecca A (UK)

Frogglin said...

A friend of mine linked this entry with the comment "The most beautiful thing I've ever read!". She was right, thank you for sharing this with us.

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