Falling in love at a young age can be dangerous. It can go one of two ways. You stay together for a while, maybe forever, or bad decisions are made and you are left heartbroken. Maybe it is not necessarily bad decisions, but they’re just not the right person for you. If you believe that you have met your person, do not take it for granted. My great-grandparents are each other’s soulmates, in my eyes. They have spent almost all of their lives together celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and about every holiday for 68 years now. 

This past year has been hard and has affected everyone. Losing loved ones, not being able to see your family or maybe COVID-19 have had different effects on you. No matter what, it is not easy for anyone. My grandparents have been staying cautious with the pandemic, but they still try to see family when they can. Both of them have gone through hard times. I have never seen their smiles fall from their faces, no matter the circumstances. 

2021 has not had the best start to the year, especially for these two. After living together for over half of their lives, they are now living separately. They are both in their 90’s, and it is getting hard for them to take care of each other without needing extra help. My grandpa has recently moved into a facility where other people can take care of him. It is very hard for our family to see them apart, after seeing them constantly together for so long. 

They may not be together, but the other person is just a phone call away. They started a new routine of calling each other right before bed, talking about how their days were even though they both do not really do anything. The calls always end with saying how much they miss each other and wishing they could be together. Never have they ended a call without saying “I love you.”

With COVID-19, they have only been able to see each other once or twice since my grandpa has moved to assisted living. Yes, it is really unfortunate that is what the circumstances are, but to keep each other healthy, this is what is normal for now. Even though they may be apart, they are always there for each other. It is not the end for them, just the start of a new beginning.