You can’t look at this photo and have any idea what’s going on, but once I explain it, you may just weep with joy, as I did.
Over the weekend, my husband and I were at a bar/restaurant that had live music on the outdoor patio. It was packed! All the tables were full on the bar side, and standing room only on the open patio below, but on the restaurant side, there were dozens of empty tables overlooking the patio, with just one couple sitting in the whole room.
We were planning to have dinner there anyway, so my husband went to ask the hostess if we could be seated in that area and was told that it was closed until 5:00.
While he was off asking, the band launched into “I Can’t Imagine That,” at which point, the one and only couple seated in the restaurant stood to go, and that’s when I noticed the seeing-eye dog. The husband was blind, which is why they were permitted to sit there.
Only, they weren’t standing to go. They had gotten up to dance.
I can’t explain why this moves me so much, but with a faithful yellow lab standing by, two people who appeared to be very much in love danced to one of the most beautiful love songs ever in a small closed area of a restaurant.
I tried to get it all in the picture without showing their faces (they deserve their privacy), but what could make you happier than seeing that?
In the blog post Change Your View, I said that being happy depends on what you see when you look in your own back yard, but I stand corrected. Being happy doesn’t seem to depend on seeing at all.
That’s so sweet. What a lovely couple.
It is about sharing or something kinetic passing between two people that will survive any situation, that definition remains in spite of kids, crisis, catastrophe and crashes.
I’ve witnessed similar happiness as an RSVP Volunteer to a blind woman who got up daily to walk her special-ed grandchild to school over 8 blocks, holding his 5-yr. old hand, so they ‘could get exercise together.’ Then she walked back home using her cane, and made the return trip each afternoon to get him. She made sure he studied daily … which he often resisted. Due to her constant encouragement, and very personal attention his mom couldn’t give him due to her having to work, this young man is now a freshman being main-streamed and doing well in high school. Their mutual love, respect and happiness was evident when they visited me this Christmas. She was born dirt poor in ElSalvador, and went blind slowly from 4 to 8 years of age. She earned two degrees, became a US citizen, and raised two daughters, showing many folks how to be happy.
This is really moving.