I saw love today in the most unexpected way, even though I've shared many forms of it over a fifty year stretch. It jumped out of the newspaper like an eager puppy that's been waiting at the door all day, and at sight it leaps with joy and wet kisses, practically knocking you over.

A photo of my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary, nestled amongst a dozen other snapshots in the anniversary announcements, was bursting with such love and enthusiasm that the photo appears hauntingly alive and surpasses any memory I've retained of their tender relationship.

I've seen examples of their love many times over the years, but this particular pose is so striking in its purity and playfulness that any measure of happiness melts within their smiles. My father's no bulky man, in fact he appears a bit frail, sometimes with a slow bent to his walk. But there he is, with muscle definition, in a strong embrace as his arms are wrapped around a woman twice his girth, his wife and the mother of his four children. They touch cheek to cheek, with exuberance splashed across their faces, and they dance to a song that shares the whole of love.

The photo was taken by me, along with the cutting of the cake, and the opening of gifts at their Golden anniversary celebration. I didn't realize the full extent of their joy until it was time to look at the pictures and choose the one that says it all, and to see it in comparison to the staunch and still life photos that shared the print of page. They exude love as life.

It's a perfect share that stretches fifty years into forever, a poignant display of their feelings for each other, and a picture of complete happiness. As radiant as they were in their wedding album photos, and as new parents, this picture exposes a truth thats rare and wonderful. It's the result of many challenges, and much courage, commitment, and caring. Love is real. Love is lasting and abiding and absolutely essential. Love is a life force that steps beyond all boundaries.

And now I can see it anytime I want to. It's a simple matter of finding the right frame to hold it. The heart works beautifully.

Learn more about this author, Elena Ryder.
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