A bride captured a heartbreaking picture of her grandfather eating alone beside the memorial of his late wife, with the picture going viral on social media.
Sahrah Elswick from West Virginia posted two touching pictures from her wedding day on her Twitter page, writing, “Pawpaw sat and ate with mawmaw today at my wedding.”
The pictures show her grandfather sitting beside a memorial that is actually a chair decorated with lights and pictures of the late grandmother. A framed note on it reads, “We know you would be here today if heaven wasn’t so far away.”
The post shared on July 6 has gathered 19,000 retweets and 171,000 likes and an overwhelming number of responses.
“My nan passed away 3 years ago, and at my aunt’s wedding over New year’s, there was a table set up for her next to the main table. My grandad stared at it for a good 10 minutes and kissed her portrait. I hope you had a wonderful wedding and I’m sure she was so proud,” wrote user Grace in response to Elswick’s post on Twitter.
Another user commented: “This is beautiful but also I could cry. One of the main reasons I’ve been so hesitant to actually go through a wedding is because my dad won’t be there to walk me down the aisle or give me away or do a father-daughter dance. It makes me so sad. Glad you could have her there somehow.”
Users on Twitter linked the pictures with lifelong love. Another person commenting on the message, Caressa Collins, said the pictures were very sweet.
“Your wedding was beautiful and this was the sweetest thing I’ve ever witnessed. I’m glad we captured this moment and I’m sorry she couldn’t physically be there with you on your big day, but she was definitely there I love y’all!!” she said.
“The pictures helped people connect with their loved ones and cherish family memories. I within the last 2 years have lost both of my great grand-parents.. and this... this made me lose it Prayers for him and your family No matter how much time has passed, it still hurts,” wrote Kyra Jean.
With over 40 to 50 percent of American couples divorcing, “pawpaw’s” love for “mawmaw” is surely an inspiration for many.
The report cites a 2011 study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience that says that long-term love is possible and that couples can stay in love with each other over the course of a long period of time.
“If you want your relationship to have passion, put that emotional energy to work in your hobbies, interests, and even your political activities.”
Whitbourne listed 12 ties that bind long-term relationships, among which the top two were “thinking positively about your partner” and “thinking about your partner when apart.”
