Lovers In The Park

 
One Sunday night at the end of September while on a stroll at Mill Lake I came across this sight. At first glance not all that unusual a sight really, but this was different; I became curious.

It was a warm, calm night with a slight breeze. The smoke from the forest fires in Washington covered the sun like sackcloth. About 100 yards behind this couple was the usual free Sunday night "Concert In the Park" series in full swing. There were hundreds of people all around; young, old, families, couples on a low cost date.

On the most ordinary of days at Mill Lake Park you will see sweethearts and lovers walking hand in hand, arm in arm, and sometimes wrapped even a little more tightly. They can be found on the paved walkway, under trees, laying on the grass and even seated at many of the benches provided all around the lake.

This couple immediately caught my attention because they were just somehow not the same as all the other couples in the park. I slowly meandered over to the fence at the edge of the lake to get a better view. What I saw was not expected.

Here were two people easily in their late 60's or beyond. The woman appeared to be having severe mobility issues. She had a cane beside her on the bench. She appeared from my vantage point as having been debilitated by a recent stroke. The man would occasionally talk to her but I did not notice her responding. At times she would lay her head on his shoulder and just be still. The whole time the man had his arm tightly around her and had taken her right hand and was lovingly caressing it from her fingers to her elbow. He never stopped the whole time I was standing there.

I am not a shy person and had to resist walking up to them and engaging them in discussion, but I just couldn't. This was clearly a most special intimate moment between them. My intrusion would not have been welcome.

My mind started to race. How long had this couple been together? Had they experienced decades of struggle together raising a family? Do they have grandchildren? Had they ever experienced days when they thought they couldn't go on and were about to divorce? Were their lives rocked by a youthful lapse in judgement early in their relationship, or maybe in later years? One thing I knew for sure is that no couple who have been together for decades have been on a honeymoon the whole time. I so wanted to know their story.

Young people so often struggle with knowing if the person they are with truly loves them. Will they be there when life is hard? Will they be there when their body is no longer what it was? Will they still love them when they can offer nothing in return? For this couple I have no doubt. They have learned by all they have been through that love is a choice, not a feeling.

But, here in the park I learned something more that Sunday evening. You can choose to love because you promised that you would, but then given time and living you are overtaken by how deeply you can feel that same love.
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