Relationship Goals

Yesterday I went to Walmart for donuts 🍩 and a magnifying glass 🔎. The donuts were for the kids and the zoom was for the mister. He needed them to read old school paper plans/blueprints. Side bar note he’s going to the Small Business Association and Score. Gets more real everyday.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program aka relationship goals

I asked for help to find the magnifier. Turn by the nail polish and go to stationery. I couldn’t find stationery. Asked again and the most friendly young man said the better ones are at the pharmacy by the glasses. Turn around and off I go.

At the pharmacy I look and look 👀. Have to ask again. And sure enough top shelf, left side but the pharm tech says there are more choices … better options in stationery.

Doh! I said “I was just there but couldn’t find stationery much less a magnifying glass” and she said “turn by the nail polish and go all the way to the end”.

👍🏼 off I go. And at the end there stands a couple talking to yet another associate. I hang back until I’m brought into the conversation.

This interaction is the Godly moment which I spoke of yesterday.

I got misty y’all … happy tears.  The four of us talked about a lifetime in minutes and left as community.  At the onset, three different cultures.  Complete strangers.  When the couple left both said they were blessed to meet us … me and Yvette the associate of 10 years (because this kindly old man notices everything)!!  We responded in kind that we were equally blessed.

Topics ranged from looking your age to surviving cancer to losing grandparents to years of wedded bliss and other assorted blessings.  I went in for donuts and a zoom and came out with gratitude and a

“I’m 80 years old. And you’re (looking at his wife) hmmm 79 … Am I right?” Sweet soul nodding yes. To us, “she knows I’m kidding. I oughta know we’ve been married 60 years!!! and yes I am 80” We tell him he doesn’t look 80.  He laughingly says “everyone tells me that but I feel 80 … every bit of it”. Then he goes on “you tell me what’s 80 supposed to look like”? We reply “older than YOU!” 🙂

His grandparents lived to be 98 and 96 but he says he won’t make it that long because of colon cancer.  He had the operation and is cancer free for four years now but it could come back.  In five years, he will make the choice to keeping going to his oncologist or not. He says for $40 per visit he might as well be sure. He’s proud of his former government job and good insurance.

He continues to tell us the night after his grandpa died, his grandma went to bed and never woke up.  She could not go on without him.  They married when she was only 16! We learned his momma was the oldest daughter of their five kids.

I can do math, this man and his lovely bride were 19 and 20 when they married.  Hmmmm.  Well wouldn’t ya know, they are me and B. We only have 25 years to go to catch up with them. And finally you know why the title is relationship goals.

Cheers to sharing stories. Cheers to community. Cheers to a lifetime in minutes.

As always more to come.