Idling at a red light one morning, I observed an elderly couple slowly making their way down the street, hand in hand. Her head was tilted slightly toward his and they moved in perfect synchronization.

They were to my left, heading forward, so I never saw them from the front, but I imagined faces that told of life well-lived, and contented smiles. I was drawn to them by their apparent closeness. I wondered if they have been married for fifty years, or if they are newlyweds. I wondered what their morning was like, and where they were headed; what hardships they have endured, and how they’ve kept their love alive.

They walked out of my field of vision, not knowing how deeply they touched the life of a stranger.