I have recently seen this simple line many couples repeat during a wedding ceremony face to face. It has touched me deeply. SO deeply that I cannot help but share my thoughts.
I have seen my own parents care for each other when sickness has stricken them.
I have seen David's grandmother care for her husband (papaw) as he battles Pancreatic cancer.
I have seen my brother in-law comfort my sister as she struggled with a miscarriage.
And by no means do I think any one couple displays unselfish love better than another..but I have been overwhelmed with thoughts of this story.
David and I were blessed again to be able to go see James Taylor this past Friday. Fortunately for David and I we both LOVE James and have place JT as our #1 musician :) When a co-worker bought extra tickets to the sold out show, we couldn't help but scrounge up some $$ and go to the show.
We got there early so we could get a good parking spot and find our seats with no problems. We had great seats. We had only two seats between us and the outer isle. This changed at about 10 min before the show. The maintenance men came and removed the last seat on our row and created a flat surface for a wheelchair to set up shop for the concert.
I was very entertained at just watching the men remove a theatre seat...crazy.
Anyway, a few minutes later a husband and wife about the age of 60 made their way to these seats. The wife appeared to have had some sort of accident, stroke, tragedy that has taken her once "normal" life to one in a high-tech wheel chair. This wheel chair had become her life support. It had a feeding tube installed, head rests, arm rests, breathing tubes etc. Her eyes were open but she could not move any of her body parts not even a hand to use the remote on the chair to move the chair.
Her husband did everything for her that the chair could not. He "drives" the chair where it needs to go. He wipes the drool off her chin. He prepares the food for the feeding tube. He drapes a beautiful pink pashmina over her tube so she is not embarrassed. He carries 3 bags full of supplies for his wife and for the maintenance of the chair.
Throughout the entire show, this sweet husband held her hand and sang her the lyrics to every song. "Whenever I see her smiling face, I have to smile myself because I love you."
He leaned over to kiss her cheeks when all the other couples around were cuddling up to these great lyrics.
He remained seated when everyone else stood up to dance to the music as not to make his wife feel alone.
He selflessly cared for his wife...and I could not stop crying over it. Even now as I tell this story I am fighting back tears.
That husband could be bitter and exhausted. He could be angry and lazy. But instead he loves his bride. He said numerous times to her "I am so glad you are here." He proudly told the women sitting behind us this was his wife.
I am kicking myself that I did not speak to this man. He sat right next to me. But I could not bring myself to talk to him because every time I opened my mouth...I had tears streaming down my face. I wanted to tell him thank you. Thank you for showing me true love and for showing me the meaning of those vows in a new light.
"...for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
As we were leaving the auditorium, he had moved his wife out of the way so people could get out. He stood there with his wife with the biggest smile as he sang "Whenever I see your smiling face."
