A Silent Exchange

I witnessed a sublimely beautiful thing yesterday; it moved me so much it took me a while to process. I was on the subway standing at the door and I could see an older couple standing by the next door over. Everyone between us was sitting down so I had an unobstructed view. They were considerably older than I am, which by my children’s standard places them one foot in the grave. Certainly not your spring chickens. She was shorter and slightly plump with perfectly coiffed golden brown hair; he was tall and thin with grey, thinning hair. 

In a tangle of appendages that quietly intimates femininity, she held her purse in the crook of her arm and in her hand she held a mirror at just the right angle. The other hand deftly applied her lipstick. One arm was wrapped around the pole for added stability, which seemed unnecessary because her balance and poise was spot on. Obviously a seasoned pro. 

The thing that moved me was the silent exchange between the two of them. As she finished applying the lipstick, they looked each other eye to eye. It was a deep, purposeful look; It seemed to me that they saw each others souls. She had a coy, playful expression that seemed to say “Oh, so you like what you see, mister?” He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Which left her looking down with this incredibly beautiful self possessed smile that radiated joy. The two of them absolutely glowed. I almost felt embarrassed for witnessing this moment of true intimacy between two people. Who knows what they saw in each others eyes? I am inspired though; Love is trans-formative, and I am a better man for having witnessed it.