I once thought that “holding your hand and growing old together” was just our longing and expectation for married life. However, recent scenes in my life have verified that the ancients’ words are indeed very true, and I have been deeply moved by them.
Last night, due to a rare break caused by a power outage at our store, I took a walk in the park near our neighborhood with my wife. The familiar flat paths, gentle lighting, and people exercising back and forth were nothing new to me. I was simply talking quietly with my wife about our son’s studies, future, and life.
As we walked, a scene on a bench in a corner made me stop abruptly. I held my wife’s hand, pointed, and said, “Look, look.” An elderly couple, who seemed to be in their seventies, sat facing each other on the bench. The husband rhythmically patted his wife’s back, and the wife looked very content and at ease.
“This is what a true old couple is, holding hands and growing old together,” I said to my wife. For once, my wife agreed with my evaluation and said, “Envious, aren’t you? You can use your phone to take a picture and then write something about it.” I wanted to capture this touching moment on my phone, but in the end, I didn’t.
Nonetheless, I am very grateful to that elderly couple because today my heart is unusually calm, allowing me to sit down and type something out. It’s been half a year, no! Nearly a year, since my heart has been riddled with wounds, unrecognizable, lost, and at a loss. Now, it seems I have found a way to resist life’s turmoil.
I want to thank that elderly couple who made me feel once again the deeper meaning of “holding your hand and growing old together” beyond its literal sense of “holding your hand and growing old together.” Sometimes, facts can explain things better than words can.
Two years ago, I recorded in my QQ space: During lunch, I witnessed a touching scene. An elderly couple bought a 5 yuan vegetarian meal, but ordered an extra bowl of rice and a free bowl of soup.
The wife kept urging her husband to eat more vegetables, while the husband kept declining until the rice was mixed with the soup and the wife stopped giving him vegetables. What is this? This is true husband and wife, true love, true emotion!
A year ago, I recorded in my QQ space: At my sister’s house in Suzhou, while strolling with my sister and brother-in-law, a scene caught my attention: On the roadside, in a quiet spot under the shade of a tree, an elderly couple around seventy years old were cooling off.
The man sat on a small stool, the woman on a pedal tricycle (apparently with mobility issues), leisurely smiling and playing cards. I think this is what is called “depending on each other” and “true love and happiness”!
Two months ago, while passing a snack stall in the neighborhood on my way home from work, I saw an elderly couple. The woman sat in a wheelchair, seemingly suffering from aftereffects of a stroke or cerebral embolism. The man was carefully feeding her tofu pudding, and occasionally wiping her mouth with a tissue.
A few days ago, chatting with a colleague, she said that her over eighty-year-old grandfather visited her hospitalized grandmother every day, even if just for a glance, to feel at ease. She also mentioned that her grandfather eventually developed Alzheimer’s, not recognizing any of his children or grandchildren, but only his wife. He only listened to her, and on his deathbed, tightly held her hand, instructing those around to take good care of her.
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These are just a few scenes from my life. I believe there are more touching examples in life. “Holding your hand and growing old together” is no longer a mere longing or expectation. If couples learn to care for, tolerate, accompany, and understand each other, they will surely “hold hands and grow old together.” This might be difficult, or it might be simple.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
