"Remembering" a special someone
Some time ago I invited readers of Wrights Lane to pass along items of interest or messages that had particular meaning for them. An old friend, Danny Burns of Mississauga, recently did just that. Danny's forward was in the form of a brief "thought piece" sent to him by another friend who had been so moved as to give it further circulation. The touching message was obviously written by a hospital emergency ward nurse with the caveat: "Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain." Her story follows.
"It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 o'clock.
"I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before a doctor would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, his thumb was well healed, so I talked to one of the duty doctors, got the needed supplies to remove the sutures and redress the wound.
"As I was taking care of him, I asked if he had another doctor's appointment that morning, as he was obviously in a hurry. He told me "no", but that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.
"He told me that she had been in the nursing home for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked further, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late and he replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in the past five years.
"I was surprised and asked "...And you still go every morning even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled and as he patted my hand he replied: "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
"I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm and thought 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'
"True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be."
2 comments:
A brief letter that says so much! I too had goose bumps when I relayed the story to Joe. Not because of the message, but because I knew he would the same for me. I'm very lucky.
P.S. I'd do the same for him!
You are indeed lucky Cindy. A father could wish no more for his daughter.
Love, Dad
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