It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80′s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said 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, 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 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 now.
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.
With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
I hope you share this with someone you care about. I just did.
‘Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.
Tags: appointment, true love, sutures, vital signs, hurry, stitches, elderly gentleman
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Tags: appointment, elderly gentleman, goose bumps, hurry, Life Purpose, love do exist, nursing home, stitches, sutures, thumb, true love, vital signs
Lobster love and dancing in the rain. Herb from nw jersey, author of \" The lobster and the chicken\" a fable for adults in search of enlightenment. I wanted to talk you for writing that great story, it really touched my heart.My book is a spiritual relationship book and the journey we all travel through life, Im the lobster and my ex girl friend is the chicken. This relationship was powerful and I think a \"soul Mate.\" I really liked what you said about \"True love is neither physical or romantic\" Most people think everything is great when they meet there soul mate, from my experience, it was the hardest most emotional thing I had ever gone through. One of my characters in the book is \" Fredy the friendly frog\" and he dances in the rain with the chicken as they searh for enlightenment and find themselfs along the path of life. Thanks Herb Palmer Jr