The Look

I'm watching a documentary about a girl who needed a lung transplant in order to survive the damage done by cystic fibrosis to her own ones. The story ends (thankfully) happily, with a transplant done in the nick of time, with the girl marrying her steadfast partner. Those who know me would know that I was holding my breath all throughout the show, crossing and uncrossing my fingers. The last scene, filmed 10 weeks after the loving couple's wedding, seven weeks after her successful operation. She was walking in the park with her husband and dog, and after some exercise, she leaned into her husband for a hug. She then explained how they used to kiss before - how it would be a short experience, always with their mouths closed, because she could not draw enough breath in for anything longer or more passionate. The husband then teased her, "I guess I don't take your breath away any more" to which she then replied, with a cheeky smile, "Not any more."

While that comment might have sounded harsh, it was the look they gave each other during this exchange that made it quite clear that, for this couple, breathlessness caused by the other still happens, and will continue to happen quite often. It was The Look, the one where the eyes interlock, smile secretly about something no one else outside that look will understand. The one where even blinking can't ruin the moment, the one where a kiss at the end is inevitable.

I've seen that look replicated lots of times, sometimes successfully, sometimes in vain. Sometimes in real life, sometimes in the celluloid world. The best times to catch The Look is by surprise, when both parties involved are at their most unguarded. It is something that requires spontaneity, real feelings, and a willingness to let oneself go.

Maybe 'tis the season, but I am definitely feeling very sentimental, and I do wish everyone, in addition to future Christmas wishes, a lot of those Looks. I wish that all of you will be on the giving as well as the receiving end. This is one of those gifts that definitely works both ways!