Little Things Always Makes me Smile

Few weeks ago I saw an elderly couple slowly walking to their car in the shopping mall car parking lot.

I slid my last shopping bag into my trolley; I paused and watched, something about their presence had caught my eye.

As they arrived at their car, he, a tiny old man of around 80 years of age, slowly escorted his wife to the passenger side.

He then moved in front of her, leaned in, placed his hand in the door handle, and opened the large clunky door.

She then slowly, very slowly, as if time had been reduced to .25 speed slowly, lowered herself into her car while her right hand held his hand. He remained still. Him, her watchful statue, one hand tethered, two eyes transfixed, cautiously monitoring her low-gravity descent.

And here I was.

Me, an impatient, pushy, selfish shopper for the last 30 minutes of my life, now frozen in the blistering Ahmedabad heat, hypnotized by this scene.

She rested into the seat, with her legs still hanging out of the car, she used one arm to lift her left leg, which could only bend slightly at one knee, and hoisted it into the car.

Then, taking both of her hands, she put them under her right thigh, and in similar fashion, brought the other leg over and then into the car.

She then rested her over-sized purse on her lap.

Her husband glanced inward, doing one last check, before pushing the door shut with a click. And began his shuffle to the driver's side.

I thought, He’s probably been opening that car door for her for far longer than I’ve been alive.

A smile crept across my hardened, impatient, sweaty, cranky, face.

A gentleman till the end, that right there - is a man who loves his wife.

That's simply me finding happiness in little things...