The elderly Gentleman with the candle.

Yesterday I was picking up a dog down in the city. This is what I do and therefore it should be of no surprise.

I was going to be joined on my afternoon Adventure by a friend. I took out my phone so as to send my precise location to my friend so that she could find us whilst I picked up my last dog nearby

As I stood on the pavement, staring at my phone and ensuring it would be the correct location, out of the corner of my eye I saw an elderly gentleman approaching.

As he walked past me he paused, smiled and asked if I needed any help. I think he meant with regards to location and directions but I decided to answer more generally in a life perspective.

“I am actually doing okay thank you” I answered before smiling and asking him how he was and how his day had been.

He continued to smile and then informed me that he had been for a checkup at the doctor, and four years after an operation he was still disease free.

He did not go into details and to be honest it did not matter.

I congratulated him and told him that it was fantastic news.

It was around then that I looked down and saw that he was carrying a graveyard candle. I wondered if it was maybe his late wife or a close family relative whom he was on his way back from visiting at the graveyard. Once again I felt there was no need to ask.

He told me that it was a lovely day to walk and that his body sometimes aches due to old age. He reminded me to look after myself and treat my body well.

I brought my face a little closer to his, locking eyes and smiling, before I whispered that sometimes it is okay to push your body a little further in search of Adventure.

His eyes lit up as he smiled back at me.

We bid each other a good day and in that fantastic way which strangers occasionally do, he put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

This is the way complete strangers hug.

Doggies: Arya, Teddy, Ben, Mara, Bastian and Birk