Old Love....the proof is in the pictures

"My love for you knows no limits. It is timeless, spaceless, formless, unshakable and un breakable. In good times and bad, happy and sad, through the highst highs and lowest of lows know that I am there with you. I will be your strength as you have been mine, desire your best and highest good to manifest itself in your life. I see you completly healed, whole and living the life you are loving, surrounded by so many who love you, just as you are. You are an unbelievable comfort, grace, wonder, inspiration, soul deep connection for which I will forever be grateful. Do not think for one second you are alone, for two hearts and souls joined together in friendship, for this life and in many past lives, forges an unbreakable bond that only grows stronger in time. I love you. "-unknown

I am reminded of two things when I read this quote. The first is Christ's love for us. The second is the love my grandparents have for each other. Cue sappy love music :) Do you ever hear old people tell their stories of how they met or see those super cute threads on facebook of love stories. Well, my grandparents totally have one of those.

I was over at my grandparents today, spending time with my grandpa. He was diagnosed with late stage, metastasized cancer in September. The doctors didn't expect him to live through October but here it is in February and he is still here, he is one tough dude. (Proof is in the picture).

Unfortunately though, the impending end is becoming nearer and nearer. We all know it and so we are trying to spend as much time with him as possible. I had the idea to make him a slideshow of all the pictures of his life, so he could see how blessed he has been. My Papa really has had a blessed life, he has never had to bury a child or a sibling, he lived to be an old man, traveled the world, and dutifully served Jesus. I have no doubt, NO DOUBT at all that when he gets to those pearly gates that Jesus will tell him "well done my good and faithful servant". It makes him getting sick a little easier, knowing that this is not goodbye. Anyways back to the slide show.....I have been collecting pictures from family members and friends and tonight my grandma asked me to take one down from their office. She said it was the most important picture to have in the slide show, it was the picture she fell in love with. That being said here is their love story.......

My Grandma Surae grew up with 2 younger sisters, my Papa Mert grew up with 2 younger brothers. Grandma's sister Janelle dated Papa's brother Norm in high school (after both Grandma and Papa were out of school). Papa was single and was talking to Norm about it. Norm mentioned that his girlfriend had a sister who was single. Norm asked his girlfriend for a picture of her sister and gave it to Papa. He kept that picture in his wallet.
Grandma was reading the newspaper one day and saw a picture of a gorgeous army soldier and cut it out and kept it on the mirror of her dresser. It was a picture of Papa. (proof in the picture)

Neither of them had ever met, yet they both had pictures of each other. Grandma said she fell in love with the man in that picture before she ever even met him.
Eventually Norm introduced Papa to Grandma and he asked her out! He was so nervous though he brought along his cousin Terry. (Proof in the picture).

My papa is first on the bottom row and next to him is Terry

 Terry thought that Grandma was pretty cute so he asked her out, but she said no, she was already in love, and really hoping that Papa would ask her out again, this time just the two of them, luckily he did.
Fast forward a bit and the two of them get married (Proof in the picture)

 and forward a little more and they have a baby, Gregory-my dad. (Proof in the picture).

 And eventually my Aunt Christine and Aunt Lisa. (proof in the picture)

Papa always made sure that my grandma was taken care of, she took care of the kids and him and he took care of the bills.
Grandma went along with Papas dream of owning a farm (proof in the pictures)

and being a "cowboy" and moved from California up to Oregon. He soon retired after moving up here and spent his days working on the farm-for fun, as well as traveling to wherever Grandma wanted to go. (Proof in the pictures)

in Israel

England

They have this saying, if one of them goes on a trip, or even gets out of bed early, or up from the table, they say "I'll save your place". Papa told Grandma that when he gets to heaven he's just saving her a place.
When looking at them, they seem like any ordinary older couple, they are not super lovey dovey but the family all knows that they have each other up high pedestals. Papa has always put Grandma right behind his relationship with God and Grandma has always done the same. (Proof in the picture)

When the movie "The Notebook" came out, I went and saw it with my Grandma. At the end of that movie the couple essentially dies next to each other in bed. It's already such a sad movie but that just melts you even more. So Grandma and I are both teary watching this and she says to me "I hope that's how your Papa and I go out." Then came a flood of tears. I highly doubt that's how it will work out. But the two of them really do seem whole with each other. One without the other just seems so wrong. But like the quote above says "Do not think for one second you are alone, for two hearts and souls...... for this life and in many past lives, forges an unbreakable bond that only grows stronger in time." I think that's how it will be for them, after all he's saving her place.