True love

True Love of husband for invalid wife

A doctor relates what he believes love is all about. The doctor was on his rounds on a busy morning and glanced at his watch.It was 8.30am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s, arrives to have stitches removed from a thumb.

The old man was in a hurry and said he had an appointment at 9am. The doctor relates: "I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him."I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would check his wound.

"The wound was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and re-dressed his wound. "While taking care of his wound, we talked. I asked him if he had a doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. "He did not.

But he said he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I asked after her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she had Alzheimer’s disease.

"As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognised him in five years now. "

I was puzzled, 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.


Taken from Suday Columns - Kalimullah Hassan
New Sunday Times,Mar 5.2006