Have you ever experienced a moment of appreciation from afar?

I waited to cross Wisconsin Avenue at what I consider the Rodeo Drive of Chevy Chase. Just had my Starbucks flat white, walked out to cross the street, and stopped to let the light change. The traffic was clear, and a woman passed by me crossing the street, not waiting. She cut a fine figure with a sweater top over a white blouse. The sweater and the athletic pants she wore accented her curves. It was just a moment of appreciation of a woman, a split second.

Then I realized it was my wife.

I hadn’t expected her. I’d forgotten she had an appointment in the building behind me. She didn’t notice me standing there. So, for that moment, we were strangers. It’s as though I’d seen her for the first time.

The moment stayed with me.

How accustomed we get to someone we see every day. We lose the freshness of observation, and that may make us miss things. So, this was a special moment for me, to see one I love for the first time.