Meaning
"Those are some very important words, you know? In sickness and in health." She said this as she held her hand gently on top of his. His hand, like his body was motionless, weak, and achy. Her hand warm, sure and beautiful. "A lot of people hear those words, but when it comes time to live up to them, they forget how meaningful they were at the time." "I know, he said." "I know you would do the same for me, wouldn't you?" "Oh, Yes, my love, I would". He knew that he meant it with all his heart, and he hoped over all hopes that she knew he did. He was already welling up with emotions for being taken care of, in this state of sickness. Generally a healthy man over the years he had not had need for being looked after. The occasion or two that he was under the weather, he had no one to care for him. Now, in this hour of being treated like a patient in a hospital, his emotions were pulling him in different directions. Some wonderful, some a little bit uncomfortable.
A memory popped into his head, of a time in his childhood when he was sick and his mother cared for him and made all the pains of feeling so badly seem acceptable. And another childhood memory, when he was waking up from an ether induced sleep after having surgery. He remembers well that as he was coming to consciousness what really woke him up was the sound of his own voice bawling for his father. And his father was there by his side with a reassuring hand and voice.
Now, a half century later, he was being cradled again with loving care. In that moment of realization that he was being in such care and that it had been a long, long time since he had been given such tender attention, it made him melt with gratitude. But at that same moment he wished it were the other way around. He wanted to be the caregiver. But it was he who was the frail one.
He muttered the words that only his mind would hear, but spoke them as if they were being said out loud, "yes my love, I would to the same for you. And yes my love, those words are very important."
A memory popped into his head, of a time in his childhood when he was sick and his mother cared for him and made all the pains of feeling so badly seem acceptable. And another childhood memory, when he was waking up from an ether induced sleep after having surgery. He remembers well that as he was coming to consciousness what really woke him up was the sound of his own voice bawling for his father. And his father was there by his side with a reassuring hand and voice.
Now, a half century later, he was being cradled again with loving care. In that moment of realization that he was being in such care and that it had been a long, long time since he had been given such tender attention, it made him melt with gratitude. But at that same moment he wished it were the other way around. He wanted to be the caregiver. But it was he who was the frail one.
He muttered the words that only his mind would hear, but spoke them as if they were being said out loud, "yes my love, I would to the same for you. And yes my love, those words are very important."
Comments