Photos of an elderly man dining alone with only a picture of his late wife for company have gone viral, and his true love story has captured the hearts of millions.
The man has been snapped on several occasions eating a burger with a photograph of a woman propped up in front of him, while at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in California, US.
Imgur user Soulrose shared the photo above on Saturday, October 18. It has since been viewed nearly 800,000 times.
In the caption below the photo, Soulrose explains that after taking the photo he/she spoke to the gentleman and learnt that the woman in the photo is his beloved wife, whom he was married to for 55 years and who passed away five years ago.
The man explained to Soulrose that he had first met his soul mate when they were both 17 years old. They dated briefly but lost contact when he went to war and her family moved away.
The man said that while he was in the army the woman never left his thoughts, and on his return home he began a search for her which lasted 10 years - during which time he refused to date anyone else.
"People told him he was crazy, to which he replied 'I am. Crazy in love,'" wrote Soulrose.
The couple were finally reunited when the man visited a barber shop in California. While chatting to the barber the man explained his desperate search for a woman he had met over a decade earlier.
After hearing the tale, the barber called for his daughter to come into the room, and to the man's great surprise it was the woman he had been looking for! He proposed to her immediately and they spent the next 55 years happily married before her death in 2009.
The pensioner revealed that he now always carries at least one photo of his wife with him everywhere he goes and even kisses it goodnight. He also still celebrates her birthday and their anniversary.
A second photo showing the same man eating in the same restaurant but with a different photo of his wife before him was posted on Twitter by Madi Bash on October 22. The tweet has since been shared more than 8,000 times and has been favourited more than 13,000 times.
Soulrose also shared some inspiring quotes the man said during their conversation. These included:
"I was a very rich man. Not with money, but with love"
"I never had a single argument with my wife, but we had lots of debates"
"People are like candles. At any moment a breeze can blow it out, so enjoy the light while you have it."
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