Cute smiley old men

I completely adore seeing cute old men at the grocery store. I was behind one in line last Friday, while waiting to purchase my yogurt, tortillas, hummus and bananas. The man had white, woolly hair tucked under his baseball cap. We're talking the hair was woolly and felted in the way that your favorite doll's hair becomes loved and worn over the years. He had on a plaid flannel shirt and old man blue jeans. What I loved most about this man was the wrinkles and lines on his face. His wrinkles were smile wrinkles. The lines seemed to lift up his face, and I could tell the wrinkles around his eyes were caused from the crinkling when he laughed.

That's the thing about getting old and wrinkly. They show evidence of what your face does most often. Frowny faces are rather unpleasant and make your face droop. But you already know that. I stood patiently behind this man (I named him Jim) as he counted out his cash and coins to purchase his groceries. I watched his face waiting for what I knew would come. The cashier gave him his change and receipt, and said have a good day. Then what  I was expecting happened. The old man smiled a smile that said "I have lived a good life and I am happy." It was the type of smile that makes you feel warm like you just ate a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. It was the kind of grin I'd like framed and put on the mantle (if I had a mantle), so that I can remember to live a life full of smiles.

Because I want to become that old lady with silver hair that has lines under her cheeks showing proof of her joy, even if I am buying prune juice and mashed bananas with a social security check.