Will You Still Love Me, Will You Still Care When I’m 64?
Remember the song – Will You Still Love Me When I’m 64? The Beatles made it famous many years ago. It’s stuck in my head for the day, now. If you’re a boomer, you may be humming the tune yourself.
I had to travel to Washington last week for a meeting. My work was finished sooner than expected so I decided to get to the airport early and go on standby in hopes of getting back to South Carolina before dark. I settled down in a seat up against the wall so I could see out across the scores of fellow passengers. I love watching people and this was the perfect place to do it.
Across from me, not far from the window, I noticed someone in a wheelchair. That, in itself, is not so unusual. What I saw next, however, was anything but usual.
The man in the wheelchair appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The attentive young woman accompanying him had to be close to the same age.
I could hear their conversation.
She had gotten their boarding passes and helped him over to the window so he could watch the planes coming and going. “We love to watch these planes, don’t we?” She said as she gave him a hug.
The young man smiled as he spoke of the planes. He struggled to get his words out and they were hard for me to understand. She, however, heard and understood every word. Their conversation went from the planes to the trip they had taken to visit friends. It had been a great time for them and they were ready to go home and back to their lives there.
As she leaned over I saw a wedding ring on her hand. He had one on as well, so I assume they were married.
They kissed and hugged a number of times in that hour we waited for our flights. It was obvious they loved each other deeply.
Many unanswered questions rolled around in my head as I sat there observing them – and trying to do it without staring. I found myself wondering if they had recently married or had something happened to him after they were married that caused him to be wheelchair bound. Regardless of what the answers may have been, I saw a mature love between those two. It was touching to watch their interaction.
You may or may not be in a relationship with someone you love today.
We all know that loving relationships take work. Sometimes we can get into such a relationship rut that we become stagnant. I’ve seen that happen over and over again. It’s easy to get into one and hard to get out of it. But, you can get out of it. It just takes acknowledging that rut and working through it with a willing partner.
My wish for you today: That you find the kind of love that couple in the airport had at least once in your life. If you are in a healthy and loving relationship already, I hope you cherish it and renew your commitment. One should never have to ask you “Will You Still Love Me When I’m 64?” They should always know what that answer is. If you find yourself in a relationship rut, I encourage you to take a serious look at it and see what you need to do. Life is just too short to stay stuck.
~Joellen