When we first get married, life just seems to be an endless string of one happy moment after another. It continues to be that way for a while but if you ask any married couple that has been together for more than a few weeks, they will let you know that there are bumps along the way. Some of those bumps can even become rather large roadblocks and if we aren’t careful, we may end up tripping over them rather than riding over the top of them and seeing the other side. For married couples that have been together for many decades, they become so accustomed to each other that they couldn’t imagine being apart.
We sometimes have the opportunity to see somebody who is grieving over the loss of a loved one. It is one of the most difficult human emotions that we can never experience and it is something that shapes our lives in so many different ways. Something special happened back in 2018 when an elderly widower was seen sitting next to his wife’s coffin. A photographer was able to capture a picture that showed such a touching scene. In ended up going viral for every reason you can imagine and as it turns out, he had been married to her for 59 years.
The photographer’s name was April Yurcevic, and she posted it on Facebook with the title: “I Witnessed a Story of Love”.
“In such a world as ours, where vows are broken as quickly as the downing of a gavel, what I saw today was a rarity, a diamond exquisite in design,” wrote Shepperd. “Today I saw a man, a broken man, standing vigil over his most prized possession. Here was love personified.”
Moore arrived about an hour before everyone was scheduled to come and sat with his wife. He appeared to be comforting her but in reality, he was comforting himself. He stayed by her side for five hours and held her hand once the family arrived.
“She looks good, doesn’t she?” said Moore.
Shepperd wondered in her post what would happen to him after the day passed.
“This man, this devoted man, had shown more grace in his time of grief than many do in times of plenty. I stood by in awe, watching faithfulness on display,” said Sheppard. “Never had I seen a man so broken, robbed of his happiness by the curse of death. I wondered as I watched him, what would he do tomorrow and the day after that? Today was the easy part.”
The family was supportive of the post and hoped that it would give a message.
“Today, I witnessed a story of love.” Shepperd finished. “And I shall witness it again tomorrow when the story finally ends, and the stage is empty, and the lights go dark.”