I am an old romantic. Always have been and always will be. So, people who know me often share those special love stories just to reassure me that love is alive and well.

“Men are always in a hurry!” Grandma said.

“But, Poppa is way ahead of us, grandma. Hurry, so we can walk with him,” the young woman told her.

“Don’t you worry, child. There’s no hurry in my life. Poppa will wait for me,” she said assuredly.

And so he did. They found him around the corner sitting on the bench.

It was always that way. He was a man of little patience and always in a hurry. When the two of them walked down the street you would always see him far ahead and she, just taking her time.

A stranger might think he didn’t love her. It is a fact that he adored her and never wanted to be without her. That is unless they were walking.

If you asked him why he did this, he’d tell you, “For her own good. She’s been after me since the day we met in grade school. The one time I actually stopped, she married me. So I keep her going by going ahead of her. She needs the exercise!” He said laughing. “I need to think she’s still after me after all these years.” He added.

If you watch him, he stops every few steps, then turns to make sure she’s there.

“They are madly in love!” Their granddaughter said.

It was early spring and the cold winter air gave way to a struggling sun. Like two bears coming out of hibernation, the old couple headed out for their first walk of the season.

It wasn’t long before the old man set the pace and headed at least a block ahead of her.

One neighbor sitting on a nearby porch yelled, “Will he ever slow down?”

Old grandma replied, “Only if he breaks a leg!”

But it would be on that day that grandma would finally catch up with him. As they were headed for home that early morn in spring, grandpa suffered a heart attack.

A true inspiration to all of us romantics, grandma held her head high throughout the funeral. As my friend tells me, as each person approached her to pay their respects, grandma simply told them, “Oh, don’t worry Poppa will wait for me!”

He did.

Two months later she caught up with him for eternity.

Bob Perks Bob@BobPerks.com