A Story That Made Me Cry
It was a busy morning at the hospital. It's a nurse's job to be at the hospital earlier than the doctors. The nurses are the people who change bandages, take temperatures, fill out the sheets etc. All a doctor does is give a diagnosis and recommend treatment. The nurses are the real heroes running a hospital.
Being a nurse myself, I cannot help but feel this way. But there are a few perks to being a nurse. Nurses get to connect with the patients on a much more personal level. So, today I would like to share one such personal story with you. A story that especially moved me. A story that made me cry.
Getting To Know Him Better
At approximately 8:30 am an elderly gentleman, probably in his 80's arrived at the hospital. He needed to get stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he had to be out of there by 9 am as he had another appointment which he absolutely could not miss.
I took the mans vitals and told him to take a seat. I knew that it would be almost an hour before a doctor would show up to treat him.He would miss his appointment. He began looking at his watch and started getting fidgety, I decided that since I did not have another patient to attend to I would treat his wound.
It is normal for a patient and a doctor to chat as the patient is being treated. So I struck up a conversation with him. That's when the trouble started, when I got to know him better.
She Hasn't Recognized Me even Once In The Last Five Years
I examined the state of his wound under the stitches, it had healed up quite nicely. I consulted one of the doctors and got the supplies I needed to remove his sutures and redress his wound. I inquired if he had another doctors appointment which he had to get to. It would explain why he was in such a hurry. The gentleman shook his head, no. "I need to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with my wife", he said.
"Lucky girl", I said,and then asked about her health. "She has Alzheimer's", he replied. I worked in silence for a while as I was almost done dressing the wound now. "Are you worried about her scolding you if you're late?" I teased. A gentle smile crossed the mans face. "No, she hasn't recognized me even once in the last five years."
I Had Just Witnessed True Love.
I was surprised, to say the least. I was also done redressing the wound. I straightened up and looked right into his eyes. "She doesn't remember who you are and yet you still go every morning?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. He gently pat my hand, as though trying to console me."She might not know who I am,but I know who she is".
With these words the old man got up and took his leave. He would now make it in time for the breakfast. He seemed to have a slight spring in his step as he walked away. I realized that there was a tear running down my cheek as I watched him. I felt as though I had just witnessed true love.
True Love
In today's times we often forget what love really means. We forget to show it to the people we really care about. To our parents, our siblings, our significant others even to our own children. We forget that life is all about loving and giving.
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will always be. No matter what the situation is, true love remains.
