Real love

                                 Author Unknown



               It  was  a  busy  morning, approximately  8:30  am,  when an
          elderly gentleman,  in his  eighties, presented  himself to  have
          sutures (stitches) removed from his thumb.  He stated that he was
          in a  hurry for an  appointment at  9:00 A.M.   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 evaluate his  wound.  On exam,
          it  was well healed, so  I talked to one of  the doctors, got the
          needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

               While  taking care  of  his  wound, we  began  to engage  in
          conversation.  I asked him if he  had a doctor's appointment this
          morning, as he was  in such a hurry.   The gentleman told me  no,
          that he needed  to go to the  nursing home to eat  breakfast with
          his wife.  I then inquired as to her health.  He told me that she
          had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer
          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 recognized him  in
          five years now.  I was  surprised, and asked him. "And you  still
          are going  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
          arms, 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.  

          Note.

          Good friends  are like stars;You  don't always see them,  but you
          always know they're there.


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