A Love That Shows

There’s a sweet older couple I used to see walking near our neighborhood.

Sometimes I’d see them in the morning. Sometimes in the afternoon.

They walked slowly and close together. They looked happy and in love.

Every time I’d see them, I couldn’t help smiling.

One time, as I watched the man gently hold onto the woman’s arm and help her up the curb, I got tears in my eyes.

They seemed so tender with each other.

As I’d drive past them, I’d wonder about their lives–about how long they’d been together and if they had kids or not.

I haven’t seen them in a while, though.

And while I’ll probably never know the details of their life or where they are now, there’s one thing I do know…

This couple loved each other.

I could see it in something as simple as the way they walked together.

And I want my love for my husband to show like that. I want my just being with him to say how much he means to me.

I think about my own parents, who are going on 40 years of marriage this year, and all the beautiful ways they’ve shown love for each other. Not through gifts or vacations or things like that. Through little things, like holding hands. And opening the door for each other. And making time for one another.

Sometimes, in the hectic pace of life, it’s the little things that are the hardest to remember. But it’s also the little things–a smile, a kiss, a note that says I love you–that can have the biggest impact.

And when I think about that couple I used to see, I’m reminded of a love that focuses on these things.

A love that’s considerate and kind.

A love that holds hands and helps.

A love that takes time for walks.

A love that shows.

Just by being together.

Comments

  1. Lovely story and message. I bet that couple has been married for decades having gone through hell and back together. My hubby and I have been through the ringer but I wouldn’t trade one single moment because I love him 1,000 times more now than I did the day I married him. Thanks for the reminder!

  2. With our anniversary coming up I have been thinking about this alot lately:) Thanks for the sweet post!

  3. I was hoping for something to read that would make me feel good. Your post did just that.

  4. This is beautiful Genny. I LOVE love. Do you know what I mean? I love seeing love in other people. It blesses my soul to see it happen in both big and small gestures. The spoken and the unspoken. Thank you for this lovely post. Your posts are always a blessing to me. :)

  5. This is such a sweet post. This reminds me of my grandparents. Every morning the first thing my grandfather would do when he came out for breakfast was give my grandmother a kiss. I never thought of it as an example for others until recently.

  6. This is truly what love and marriage is all about, not trinkets and trips and keeping up with the Jones’.

  7. That is a great post. I can just picture this sweet couple walking hand in hand. I, too, want to have that relationship with my husband 40 years from now. It reminds me of a song by Diamond Rio. I think it is called “Sunday’s best of all”. It talks about an elderly couple who are always together, just like your couple, always doing every thing together, everyday of the week. But they love Sundays best of all sitting in the same pew at church, sitting on the porch in the afternoon, etc. You get the picture. Anyway, a great way to pray that we can all be with our spouses in the years to come. Thanks for sharing.

  8. There is an old song called “A Daisy a Day” that my mom used to sing to me. Does anyone else remember that song?

  9. My wedding anniversary was today (Thanks for coming by, btw!!) so what a delight to see this post here about love. My husband and I are not that lovely, tender couple. We have an entirely different way with each other – usually sarcasm and smiles. Not a whole lot of tenderness, but when my husband had a liver transplant two and a half years ago, the sarcasm and smiles were our bond that no one could break. I understood during that time that we were exactly what we were supposed to be with each other. It was and is beautiful.Thanks,Kristin

  10. i honesty to goodness was just thinking on that same thought earlier today.hmmmm. now i feel like I should be paying more attention!

  11. Beautiful, and very inspiring. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to cherish the little moments when you’re caught up in the daily chaos that is life with small people, but that just means we should be working all the harder to notice them.

  12. Beautiful post…thanks for sharing! I always watch little old couples with fondness and pray to be like them one day. :)BTW: tag you’re it, if you wanna be tagged. :D

  13. Years ago I remember my great grand parents and the way they always held hands. I used to love walking behind them just to watch them. It was a great love story that was lived out loud. If I close my eyes I can still them walking down the hall holding hands.

  14. Thank you not only for your words here, but for stopping by my bloggy home and the kinds words you left there. I truly appreciate it.

  15. I love this story and how you noticed the simplest, yet most meaningful exchange between them. I have looked up to couples like this throughout my life and it is exactly what I want my relationship with my husband to be like when I am that age.

  16. You write wonderfully. You get your message out very understandably. What a sweet message and story =) I should thank God more often that my parents are still together and love one another. They’ll be celebraing their 25th wedding anniversary on the 2nd of July!Thanks so much for leaving a comment and coming by to visit my blog! I truly appreciated it.Come to visit again any time!

  17. Just beautifully written! Your words and stories give me so much encouragement.

  18. Thanks for stopping by!What a great post. I love to see older couples walking together. I love my husband despite his nuances and annoyances and he loves me despite mine.

  19. What a sweet post. Just yesterday we were in the Bay Area and stopped by to take my grandma out for dinner. When she was in the car with us, she made a point to ask, “Don’t you two hold hands anymore?” It’s easy to hold hands in our Suburban, but in our minivan there is no center console to rest them on. I thought it was interesting that even at eighty-seven years old, she still notices those things.Joanne p.s. I was wanting to meet up with you this week, but underestimated just how exhausted I’d be after the trip. (I am working until 3am today, ugh!) can we get together next week? Email me and let me know what works for you. :O)

  20. What a beautiful post and such a great reminder :) I used to tell myself that my greatest wish is to be able to place my age-spotted, wrinkled hands into my husband’s, and still feel beautiful and loved.

  21. Great posts. Older couples who are affectionate and caring towards one another truly touches your heart. It’s as if you can sit and picture all the years they have had together and all they have been through, and yet, here they are still lovin’ on each other!

  22. Good reminder! I know sometimes with our busy schedule and caring for the kids, it’s easy to forget the small gestures and caring that our respectful and keep the relationship on solid ground!Thanks!

  23. I love watching older couples together – like at McDonald’s. . . They both have a newspaper and a coffee and under the table the toes of their shoes are touching. Bless you!

  24. This is my prayer for my hubby and I as well. I always see older couples and think, “Oh, how sweet, we’ll be like that when we’re older”. But reading this makes me realize….we don’t have to wait until we’re older…we can live it right now.

  25. Great story. I love to sit and watch people interact with each other. I love to see people caring for each other, loving each other. It is beautiful and inspiring. And then I realize that I need to pay more attention to my own relationships. I have been together with my husband for 21 years, since I was 16 years old! Sometimes we do forget the little things, especially me. I hope someday we will be that old couple you wrote about.

  26. Such a sweet post. We can learn so many lessons from those who are older and wiser than us. It is the little things that count. I have to remind myself of that.By the way, I know you don’t have the time, but I tagged you for a meme on my blog.

  27. I want this too…and believe me, I intend to work hard to have it! Thankfully, my husband wants the same thing.I am new here but I noticed your “mission” statement at the top, and we have very similiar “goals.” It’s so nice to “meet” you!

  28. oh man. i hope my husband and i have that kind of marriage in 40 years.

  29. My cousin (the dishes will wait)just wrote a tribute to give to her parents for their 50th anniversary. She notices those same things in their relationship. I hope she’ll post it to her blog sometime in the future. I guess there’s a reason that couples who grow old together, make it that long.I have a long way to go in this respect. I so often take my relationship with my husband for granted…

  30. Great story! What a great reminder to enjoy today and love on our guys. Thanks, Genny!

  31. Hi there! I was just surfing the blogosphere and came across yours! Looks like we read some of the same blogs!

  32. What a tender picture and beautiful encouragement, particularly in a society that is satisfied with marriage-at-will thinking. Thanks, Genny!

  33. Isn’t it great that Jesus loves us like that….every moment of our lives? Even when we are disobedient. Even when we are sinning. Even when we don’t act very loving to Him.Great inspiring words.God bless-Amanda

  34. This is precious. My husband and I started out early together and now 12 years later I just adore him–there is noone I would rather hang out with. It is so encouraging to me (in a world of so many broken relationships) to see a love like this so many years later.

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