NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – A nurse on his way home from a 10-hour shift at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital snapped a candid moment of a loving elderly couple, oblivious to the world around them. The photo was taken on the 1-train on the MTA in New York City.
The endearing moment was just what Blake Ricker needed to see after a tough day.
“You could tell they were just in awe with each other. It melted my heart,” Ricker said. “When I got off the train, I noticed how great the photo captured the moment. I was like I’ve got to find these people.”
He posted the photo on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, hoping social media would work its magic to help him connect with the couple and, one week later, it worked. The picture went viral and Ricker was able to track down the family of the couple.
Karen Kettering Dimit recognized her in-laws and reached out to Ricker, saying “they were busted,” out on a date night for their 64th wedding anniversary – and the family doesn’t like them to be on the subway on their own.
It turns out the couple was headed downtown for dinner after enjoying a show at Lincoln Center. Ricker said he’s been told they are flattered by the attention they are receiving but, as of now, are choosing to stay out of the spotlight. Ricker hopes to meet them and print out a photo of their subway love as a keepsake.
