2 Little Words and Life Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

I had a moment last night. A good one. Was it the yummy seafood pasta for dinner? Our favorite waitress at our favorite restaurant? Was it the 2 cosmopolitans? Was it the guitarist singing in the background? Was it those 2 little words my partner said?

My partner has had a good turn of fortune this week, so we went out to dinner to have a little celebration, just the 2 of us. To our favorite restaurant. Fairly typical, nothing out of the ordinary, really. But good food, as usual. And our favorite crazy waitress who always makes us laugh.

I noticed my partner had a piece of food on the side of his mouth, and he didn't realize it. I didn't say anything, wanted to wait, give him time to notice. Since his stroke, he often can't feel when food he's eating might be sticking to his face. It's been a point of conflict for us, however. Usually if I tell him to wipe his mouth, he gets upset, no matter how kindly I bring it to his attention. I guess it's a reminder of what he's lost.

So I waited a while but finally told him. Sure, it's a little embarrassing for me, but I also don't want people to stare at him and wonder what's wrong. So he wiped his mouth and then said 2 little words: "Thank you."

He's never said that before. Never. Never in almost 2 years since his stroke. Yes, he's thanked me in general for being there and helping him and that sort of thing. But never thanked me for this one little gesture.

It meant the world. And I took it to mean that he and I are making progress.

We kept eating and then, when we were almost ready to leave, I found myself looking around the restaurant. Everyone there seemed to be in good spirits, smiling, laughing, hugging their friends and neighbors. Our waitress kept stopping by to share a joke. The female guitarist's voice seemed to wrap us all in a warm, caring embrace. This sounds so cheesy, but y'all, I felt tears welling up in my eyes, simple tears of joy.

That moment was beautiful. Nothing fancy, just good food, laughter, a beautiful voice accompanied by guitar--just those simple things. And I was about to lose it! I kept tearing up--and when we finally got into the car to leave, the dam burst! My partner asked what was wrong, and I said, "Do you know how much I love you?"

We talked for a bit, and I also mentioned that this new spiritual path I'm on is making a difference, but I didn't go into much detail. We had a great rest of the evening watching television on the sofa.

So if you ever find yourself in one of these moments, hold it, cherish it, commit it to memory and be grateful. That, I think, is the best life can offer any of us.