Photo of elderly man teaching girlfriend to read goes viral

Photo of elderly man teaching girlfriend to read goes viral


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ANAHEIM, Caif. — A photo taken by a stranger of a couple at a Southern California Starbucks has gone viral, with many saying the photo is the perfect example of love and dedication.

The photo, picturing an elderly man helping a woman through a deck of alphabet cards, was posted Thursday to the social sharing site Reddit. It received hundreds of comments and quickly spread to other sites.

"I was sitting next to this couple at Starbucks this morning, this man John was teaching Linda the alphabet. He told us that she lost her memory and was re-learning how to read. Patience, love, and understanding at it's finest," the Reddit user wrote.

The man, Matthew Ballestero, also posted the full story on Facebook. He said John would put a flashcard in front of Linda to help her remember what she had forgotten.

"My friends and I were overwhelmed by the love that these two had for each other and I knew I wanted to let them know how much of an inspiration and a perfect example of true love they were to me," Ballestero wrote.

Photo of elderly man teaching girlfriend to read goes viral
Photo: Matthew Ballestero

He said John got up to use the restroom, and Linda kept studying at the table, reciting the first 19 letters of the alphabet perfectly.

"As she paused to think of that next letter I saw my opportunity. ‘T!' I shouted. She looked up at me with the biggest smile and says... ‘T! You are so sweet! I love you! You see, I've lost my memory and I'm trying to get it back!'" Ballestero wrote. "Right before they left, Linda exclaimed, ‘I love you. I just love you all! God Bless You!'"

Ballestero said the couple was a beautiful example of true love.

"This is definitely a moment I will remember forever- John's unwavering love, patience and understanding for the woman he chose to give his life to," he said. "Linda's endless positive attitude, eagerness to (re)learn and mostly her uninhibited joy in expressing love to other. You may be losing your memory, Linda, but the love that you and John have for each other will never be lost."

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Stephanie Grimes

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