These Adorable Grandparents Will Remind You That Love Does Exist

When Esther Seim from Arkansas decided to photograph her grandparents going about their ordinary lives for a week, she did more than capture their lasting romance on camera—their love story has now touched thousands across the web and is a reminder that there’s hope for all of us to find a love that lasts a lifetime.

1. Gordon and Carol are just an ordinary couple. To the naked eye, these two are just another couple, but that’s what makes their story so heartwarming. Knowing that two perfectly ordinary people can make a relationship last gives us all hope to do the same. Aside from being older now, it looks like nothing’s changed between these two since they were twenty.
2. They met in the small farming town they grew up in. Sometimes everything you’re looking for appears right in front of you. At least, that’s what happened for Gordon and Carol, who grew up in the same village in South Dakota. Gordon noticed his best friend’s younger sister after returning from the Navy, and the rest is history. If the boy next door was good enough for Carol, we’re prepared to give ours a second look.
3. They’ve been through highs and lows together. Like most couples, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Gordon and Carol. Gordon has battled with cancer, while Carol has undergone a knee and hip replacement. Despite everything they’ve had to face, the couple’s love has only strengthened, and the wear and tear on their bodies seems only to have made their relationship more unbreakable.
4. Staying positive is key. When you’re in a long-term relationship, it’s easy to lose hope or let hard times get the better of you. According to their proud granddaughter, these two have remained unfailingly positive in the face of life’s challenges. Love comes that little bit easier when you’re prepared to leave your worries at the door, and these two are proof of the power of positivity.
5. The couple that reads together, stays together. Both Carol and Gordon love to read and have kept up their Bible study into old age, even through a terrifying bout of blindness for Gordon. Finding time to share their faith and rituals together has kept this couple close for decades.
6. They love to be out in nature. Sitting around indoors doesn’t cut it for these two—being out in nature is when they really come to life. Carol and Gordon’s love for each other spills out into caring for the world around them and one of their favorite hobbies is feeding the animals that graze in their backyard. One look at the photos of them out in the sun tells you this is a couple that hasn’t lost their zest for life just yet.
7. It’s the little things that count. So, what’s Carol and Gordon’s big secret to living a happy, loving life? Turns out that the grand gestures aren’t what you’ll remember when you settle down to retire, instead it’s all in the small things. The couple enjoys growing vegetables in their allotment, savoring a cup of tea, and living a simple but good life. There we were waiting for someone to move mountains for us, when it was the little things that counted all along.
8. Their love is the foundation of a happy family. Carol and Gordon’s happy relationship is the basis of generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and the family are very close. There’s nothing the couple loves more than enjoying a relaxed day playing games with their grandchildren. Seeing the family they’ve created together makes their relationship even more special.
9. Their love for each other is clear, after all this time. It’s normal to fear the flame burning out after so many years together, but, if Carol and Gordon’s relationship is anything to go by, it only gives way to a deeper connection. In so many of Esther’s photos, Gordon is caught out gazing lovingly at his wife of over 67 years. Their love really has lasted a lifetime.
10. Because deep down, they’re still the same people they were in the beginning. Relationships change us in so many ways, and getting older can make us lose sight of who we were at the start. Gordon and Carol’s story is a welcome reminder that, no matter how our appearances change, we’ll always be the same person to those that know us best.
11. Most of all, they keep smiling. More than anything else, the impression Esther’s photos creates is of a couple still very much enjoying each other’s company, and sharing that giddy feeling of being in love, even after all this time. Gordon and Carol, we salute you, and if we’re half as crazy in love when we get to your age, we’ll be very lucky individuals indeed.