Come October, my parents will have been married for 60 years. They have been together so long that they have basically grown up as one entity. They seem to know each other almost better than they each know themselves. And this goes way beyond simple likes and dislikes.
She knows when he's getting a little too tired. He knows when she's got a headache. She knows when he wants something to eat. He knows who she's talking to on the phone by the sound of her voice. They watch out for each other, protect each other, support each other, defend each other, encourage each other.
He glows and calls her "good-lookin'" when she walks through a room. She gently covers him when he lays down for a nap.
He patiently waits in the car when she gets her hair done or shops for fabric. She listens with care when he reminisces on his time in the Navy during WWII.
He lovingly takes a picture of each afghan that she crochets. She trustingly relies on him to fix anything and everything.
They seem to live in tandem, each one half of a whole. I will never know what it's like to have a faithful partner of 60 years. But I'm privileged and proud to see what it looks like through my very sweet parents.
