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What
Love is All About!
It was a busy
morning,
approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly
gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00
am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be
over an hour before someone would to 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, it was well healed,
so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove
his
sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in
conversation. I
asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he
was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to
go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been
there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's
disease. As
we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He
replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized
him in
five years.
I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even
though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my
hand and said, "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.
Contributed
by
Dorian Bell
Defining
Moments
Archives
Copyright
© 2006, Jace Carlton. All International Rights Reserved.
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