moments

i keep having these little glimpses of other people's lives around me...

a smiling baby, cooing up at her mama from the stroller.

an older couple with sliver hair, and entwined, gloved hands, walking slowly in front of me, and talking softly.

a younger couple sitting at the corner table in a low lit pub, completely ignorant of their surroundings, eyes only for each other, and lost in conversation.

mom, dad, and daughter out walking the dog, singing their way home.

he pushes the grocery cart, and reads something on his smart phone. she reads a list, picks things off the shelves and puts them into the cart. he looks up, watches her for a moment, and reaches out catching her hand as she aims for the cart. their eyes meet and they smile at each other for a long moment and continue on.

he carefully carries two steaming cups of coffee in a cardboard carrier, while on the phone, saying, "i'm two blocks away. see you in a minute."

two runners perfectly in synch, except for her swinging pony tail, pass quickly by. they're even breathing the same.

a family emptying the car after a shopping trip. he grabs the groceries. she takes the two little girls by the hand and off they go up the sidewalk to their house, pausing for a moment to open the door, grab the mail and then they're inside.

light from a window spilling out onto the sidewalk, and shadowed figures passing by, one singing, the other laughing and calling out to someone else in the house.

i remember when i was younger, scenes like this would make me ache with a wanting so deep that sometimes my bones would  hurt. and now, they make me smile. make me feel content. there really is much happiness, warmth, and love in the world among all the hardship, coldness and sadness. the world really is a beautiful place. just look around, and happiness it seems will rub right off, if you let it.