This morning my friend put a post on Facebook that said she was taking her kids to a nearby nursing home at 2:00 to play kick ball and bingo with the residents, and asked if anybody else would like to join them. I put it to a vote in my house and we all agreed that sounded like a fun way to spend our afternoon.
Upon arriving at Park Place we saw the couple in the photo above. They were sitting in an open room for visitors. The gentleman was watching TV while the woman rested against his side. We walked past them to the area where the kick ball game had started.
After playing for a couple of hours it was time to leave. As we left, that couple was still sitting in the same position. My friend asked a member of the nursing staff about their story. She was told that they are husband and wife. He is 85 and she is 84. They’ve been married for 65 years. The wife has Alzheimer’s and lives at the nursing home. The husband does not reside there, but he comes every day to care for his wife. She has no idea who he is or sometimes, that he is even there.
Wow. That’s a man who took his wedding vows seriously. To love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, til death parts us. What an awesome display of true love.
My friend spoke to him briefly before getting his picture and asked him why he does it. His reply? “She was a faithful wife for many, many years. I can’t imagine not taking care of her now.”
Beautiful.
