A friend and co-worker of mine recently was witness to the power of a loving goodbye, and when she shared the story with me, I confess I shed a tear or two myself. My friend was there in the hospital room as her dying father-in-law bid farewell to his wife of some 60 years. He was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and less than a week later, he was fighting for each breath. For just a few hours before his passing, he was lucid enough to say his goodbyes.
His wife sat next to him as he told her that he had loved her since the moment he first laid eyes on her, and that every day with her had been a delight. As he lay there in the hospital bed, he gave her a final signed Valentine card a few days early, and she laid her head down on the pillow next to him and asked him if he wanted to snuggle. He smiled, and they snuggled for a few minutes. Within a few short hours, he was gone.
This story really touched me. I think in this world of divorce and broken relationships, I find it incredible that true love does exist, and it’s better than in the movies. That couples in their mid-80’s are even more in love than they were when they married all those years ago. It’s a beautiful thing, and it has reinforced the idea that it is possible to love one person ‘til death do you part. That’s what I want...and I don't want to settle for anything less.
Today is Valentine's Day--a day that I usually dread. It's sometimes too much to bear to be surrounded in a world of paired off people and feel like the odd girl out. I usually want to hide and bury myself away. But today, somehow I feel differently. Maybe I don't that love of my own that I've dreamed of, but I have the love of dear friends that mean the world to me. I have the love of a most beloved sister who never ceases to remember me on Valentine's Day. Today I feel loved, and I can't but help give it back rather than horde it away. May each of you feel loved today as well.
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