Glittery eyes and gray hair...
Today as I was selling fall in a cup, (aka pumpkin spice latte) from the Nordstrom e-bar, the same weathered woman came to ask me for her husbands specialty. Our culture tells us to hide our age, to hide the gray, the wrinkles, the sun spots...but for me it speaks of a life well lived. She was beautiful, laugh lines at the corner of her mouth, her eyes, tell of all the joy she has had. Creases in her forehead, of all the grief she has been through. She is a springy older lady. I see her maybe once a week. She never gets anything for herself, just "that drink my husband loves". I ask her if her husband works upstairs. (silly me) She laughs a gentle laugh and says oh no, my husband just had his eightieth birthday. She told me how they come and walk every week and when he gets really tired, he sits and she goes to get him his coffee. She tells me that he thought that his kids had forgotten about his birthday but how they had all surprised him with a party, her eyes...