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THE LITTLE COUPLE

October 25, 2023October 25, 2023

THE CAREGIVER’S FAVORITE COUPLE

As my Mother’s Caregiver, I have been given special dispensation to live here in the Senior Living Complex.

In general, I feel like a fish out of water. The median age is 75 years old, and I have little to nothing in common with the residents. I look upon most of the inhabitants of the building as character references for future story plots. Writers tend to view people in that manner.

There is one couple who caught my attention early on in this Caregiver journey/movie.

The first time that I noticed them, I thought to myself, “What a cute little couple.”

And that’s exactly who they were.

They walked out of the building holding hands and looking at each other as if they were the only people in the world. They spoke to each other in their native language with which I was not familiar. But I think there is a saying, something about the language of love being universal. And so, although I did not fully comprehend their exact words, I understood enough to hear the love.

They were going for their morning walk. Since much time has passed since I’ve been here as my Mom’s Caregiver, I came to realize that this was their everyday ritual.

I don’t know where they walked or if they even had a destination in mind. They walked holding hands in lock step with each other. They were approximately the exact same height and so when one took a step, the other stepped at the exact same time. It was almost as if their legs were attached to each other’s. And they never let go of one another’s hand.

I am often up and out early in the morning (those precious moments to myself) and so on many mornings they were the first people whom I encountered. I always smiled and said good morning and they each waved and smiled back. Seeing this couple first thing in the morning radiating the love that they shared was the best start to any day.

As time passed, they began walking with canes and then sometimes with a walker. They always held hands and they always walked in perfect harmony.

They are in their late eighties and there were days every now and then but not that often when I would see one without the other. One day, I watched the man walk outside for his morning walk alone. As he walked by the window of his apartment, he knocked on the window. The woman came to the window, and I could feel if not see her smile. They both put their hands to the window and their palms met on opposite sides of the glass. After a moment, the man turned from the window and walked down the street. At the time, I imagined that the woman didn’t feel up to taking their morning walk that day but that she insisted that he go anyway. The occasions when I saw one without the other were indeed extremely rare. They were always together. And they were always hand in hand.

One day I had the privilege of seeing the couple with their family—children and grandchildren. They were attempting to take a family selfie. I offered to take the photo for them. The man excitedly told the group, “She’s, our neighbor!” I took several shots from different angles. The family viewed the pics quickly and seemed very pleased. The gratitude went both ways. I was thankful to have been able to participate in this joyful family moment.

Another day, upon returning to the building in the early evening, I noticed the couple sitting on the bench in the lobby. They were holding hands, whispering, and giggling. The women whispered in his ear and then shyly turned away. He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. They looked each other in the eye and smiled deeply and completely.

I smiled as I walked past them and said hello. When I entered the elevator, there was another young woman in the elevator. We looked at each other and she said, “That couple is adorable!”

At the same time, we both said, “I want that!” Yes, I want that kind of love.

Whenever I was in their presence, their love was like a force field. Stepping into their orbit was like entering a huge balloon (or kid’s bouncy house) filled with love.

It was obvious that a long, all encompassing, forever abiding love filled their hearts with each other. And their love—so true and so strong—permeated the air surrounding them. It was undeniable. It was unbreakable. From the outside looking in, the feelings shared were the definition of love.

There is a Bible verse (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) often quoted at weddings, “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud…”

This couple was the personification of those words.

Meeting, Seeing, Watching, and Experiencing this couple is one of the good things about being a Caregiver.

I am currently single and have yet to enjoy my love of a lifetime—my Bashert. But here, as my Mom’s Caregiver, I’ve seen true Soulmates in that couple. It is a beautiful sub-plot in this Caregiver movie.

A few weeks ago, a tragedy occurred. The couple set out on their morning walk at 6:00am. Apparently, their morning stroll took them across a busy street. The woman was struck by a hit & run driver and died shortly after arriving at the hospital. She had been standing on the corner waiting for her husband.

A dark cloud covered the senior living complex as the news spread amongst the residents.

When Jenny told me the news, she said, “You know that little couple that you like, well…”

I was deeply affected by the news–first with sadness and then with a sense of peace.

My mind recalled the image of them sitting on the bench in the lobby, laughing, smiling, and thoroughly enjoying each other’s presence. And I thought to myself, “I want that!”

There aren’t a lot of Caregiver’s moments that I care to repeat but having the opportunity to witness that kind of love has provided me with moments I will always treasure.

Note: The driver has been apprehended and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.