COUPLE: Life is beautiful

There is so much in the news that is violent, ugly, sad, controversial, etc., that maybe it is appropriate to take a look at something beautiful.

Saturday, March 1, my wife and I on our way home stopped in at “The Porch” in Hayden Lake for some lunch. I ordered a half size taco salad, my wife ordered a Moon Burger. The waitress asked if I wanted to add some sliced chicken to my salad so I asked what the additional cost would be; I declined the add-on. My wife had more than she could eat, so she transferred half of her potato salad onto my plate, otherwise our lunch was quite uneventful for a couple of seniors (83 and 88 years).

When we were ready to leave, our waitress came to our table and said that the younger couple that had been sitting at a table near us had paid our bill and left a note for us. Here is what the note said: “We hope you enjoyed your lunch. My husband and myself hope as we age, we still enjoy each other’s company. Have a great day!”

At first I felt a bit embarrassed; total strangers feeling sorry for us because we projected an image of poverty, like ordering a half size taco salad, declining the add-on chicken, and sharing the potato salad. But no, I don’t think feeling sorry for an old couple was part of the picture. Rather, I like to think that the “younger couple,” probably happily married, seized the opportunity to look 50 years into a happy future through the image projected by an older couple sitting at a table nearby, still talking to each other, still enjoying each other’s company.

BEAUTIFUL!

MERLYN DUERKSEN

Hayden Lake