Life Long Love

I've not been here for a year or so and what I am discovering is that no one blogs anymore...its old, passe', but I miss writing. I miss processing my thoughts here. I'm a better writer than a speaker. Today, if I were just starting out, and young again, I would "vlog," or create "reels," or "lives."  However, being that this is not my fresh new start, I think that would be way more than anyone needs to see of me. Lol

I have lots to say, as usual. Stories to tell, feelings to feel, topics to raise my voice for...so here I am. Starting out once again. This has been my little spot on the Internet since 2007. I think I took most of the early stuff down. I had it printed into a book, which would be one of the many items I grabbed if the house was on fire. Like everything, I learned as I went and sometimes I shared too much. I was bursting at the seams in those early days. So so frightened. Our life is so very different than those early years...and I am so deeply grateful. 

For today though.....a beautiful love story. Read on....

Last week I walked into a home to help get someone settled into bed for the night. 

What I found as I entered was a little round woman, of Hispanic heritage, warm and welcoming, emotional, tired, with bad knees, sitting next to her husband's hospital bed, folding laundry, while he lay, actively dying. She was dressed in her "house dress," not her nightie, but her house dress and slippers. Her beautiful long salt and pepper hair was wrapped up in a bun on the top of her head. She had the warmest and friendliest face. She was beautiful. She had known hard work in this life. I immediately adored her. 

Her husband was a handsome older gentleman, not ready for his own passing, but it was coming regardless of what anyone had to say. They had been married 56 years. For this last leg of the journey she just couldn't manage caring for him in the bed on her own any longer....so I came. 

We visited and she told me some of their story. Those 56 years had contained so much life, several children, homes, jobs, times where they believed they couldn't go on, where they threatened to divorce each other, times they had to choose to try again, choose to forgive, choose to suffer through and hopefully things would get better... and they did. 

"And now here we are. At the end." And she cried and cried. She was going to miss her love, her sparring partner, despite all of the ups and downs, they had walked together through all of it. The good and the bad. 

It is always such an incredible honor to be allowed in at such a fragile and vulnerable time. To see  families and individuals in their rawest form. I got him settled and we made plans for me to come back the next afternoon. 

As I suspected would happen....I received the call in the morning that there was no need to come back. I am so grateful for that short connection. For being allowed to see a glimpse of this beautiful couple who knew about fortitude, serving one another, about loving even when you didn't feel like it. She walked him through to the end and was so deeply grateful to be doing so. 

With so much love for anyone who happens to read this....

Annette