As Good As It Gets

This might sound awful to some of you, but this is what I thought about today on a long drive home from a small town.     Much of the time, when I visit people who have lost a spouse, I feel so bad for them, I wish I could take some of their suffering.    But sometimes, like today, I find myself simply in awe of the relationship they had.   On those visits, although I am sad for the spouse who is still here, I am also struck by the knowledge that this is as good as it gets.   A long and loving marriage, where both people respected and loved one another, where the grown children are certain and secure in the love and pride of both parents.    It is sad that one of them died first, but it is a pure sadness, with no tinge of anger or bitterness or guilt or regret.    I can gladly sit and listen to the stories of those families for hours on end, and the only feeling I have when I drive away is envy.    Our lives are so short, they are melting away before our very eyes.    But we are capable of such beauty, and I was privileged today to see some of it.