Ageless Beauty - A Love Story that Never Ends

On my way to work, I pass by a cemetery. Every morning, I notice an elderly woman standing before a well-cared grave. She looks a bit emaciated, with a full head of gray hair. The grave is located not far from the main road. As I drive home after work, I see a single red rose in the flower holder right next to the headstone. The flower does not wither even in winter.

Year after year, I get use to the sight of her. Older and more fragile she appears as time goes by, like an old tree that has seen too many bitter weathers. Besides a red rose, she also carries a walking stick in her hand. Her back slightly hunches over, she wears an old-fashioned hat on her head to cover up the thin hair. Despite of her doddery appearance, there is something about this old lady, which moves me, graceful and dignified, an ageless beauty that can’t be put into words.

Then, suddenly, one day, she stops showing up, and the grass about the grave starts to grow out of hand. The rose petals dry up and fall to the ground. For a month, the flower holder remains empty. “Perhaps, she moves away,” I wonder. “Perhaps, she is taken ill.” It’s a strange feeling to worry about someone you hardly know. Just seeing her at the same spot, same time, everyday pleases me.

At last, the flower holder is once again filled with red roses, probably one for each day of absence. The old woman sits in a wheelchair. She leans forward and gently dusts the headstone with a white handkerchief. The newly trimmed grass sends forth a delicate fragrance, and resplendent rosebuds blossom in the glorious morning ray. She looks peaceful and happy, like a maiden reunites with a long lost lover. Three days later, right next to the grave raises another headstone. On it writes: Together again, in heaven.

Aging is a natural process that we are powerless to resist. True beauty, however, grows beyond skin deep. The loving memories of a husband help his grieving widow survive countless lonely days. The affection and devotion they have for each other transcend time and space. The distance between lovers can’t be measured by any modern technology, and death does not signal the end. True love gives life to all living things on this earth, and it is the very source of ageless beauty.

Beauty lives in the eyes of the beholder. True beauty is the grace that you carry and love that you feel inside. It does not cost you a cent, only a sincere heart.

Please feel free to provide your comment, and rate the posting, or share the article with your family and friends. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for visiting!