Dr. Brooks
He was entering the print shop as I was coming out. I said, “Hi Doc!” wondering if he would remember me, hoping that he would. “How are you?” I asked just to make small-talk and he answered, “Not too good.” Amazed that he had told me the truth but so glad he did, I asked him what was wrong again and he told me Peggy, his wife, was not well. Obviously, he wanted to talk about her so I listened as he told me more. He told me that his wife had Alzheimer’s disease and I told him my mom had dementia--that she couldn’t even walk from the couch to the bathroom and he told me he just wished Peggy could stand up. I felt bad for even talking about my moma when I could see he had such pain so I asked him where Peggy was and he told me a nursing home. I asked him which one and he told me Rosewood and even bragged on them for taking such good care of her. He said he thought it might just be because he had been a doctor, but then told me he had watched and they took equally good care of everyone. And with her care he was quite pleased.
He said, “Next Tuesday is our anniversary. We’ll be married sixty-three years…” And then I interrupted by saying, “And she won’t even know it, will she?” And he said regretfully, “No. She won’t.” I could see he wanted so much to be with her, hold her hand and celebrate, but even knowing that he couldn’t, he said one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard. He said, “You know it’s hard when you’ve lived with someone sixty-three years. And then his voice trickled off. “She’s not just the love of my life; SHE’S MY LIFE,” he said. And he gazed up toward heaven.
Walking toward my car realizing God was teaching me a lesson, I looked back and asked one more question. “You can’t imagine living without her, can you? And he said, “I NEVER WANT TO.”
I realized I had just had one of those “life’s lessons” moments, taught to me by an unsuspecting person God placed in my path. I wondered if I loved God as much as Dr. Brooks loved Peggy. God never leaves or forsakes me. He provides my every need. He listens when I talk, forgives when I ask. He cures all my diseases, loves me unconditionally. He even rewards me when I go home. Could I say that God is not just the love of my life, He IS my life? Can I ever imagine living without Him? Can I say, “I never want to?”
He said, “Next Tuesday is our anniversary. We’ll be married sixty-three years…” And then I interrupted by saying, “And she won’t even know it, will she?” And he said regretfully, “No. She won’t.” I could see he wanted so much to be with her, hold her hand and celebrate, but even knowing that he couldn’t, he said one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard. He said, “You know it’s hard when you’ve lived with someone sixty-three years. And then his voice trickled off. “She’s not just the love of my life; SHE’S MY LIFE,” he said. And he gazed up toward heaven.
Walking toward my car realizing God was teaching me a lesson, I looked back and asked one more question. “You can’t imagine living without her, can you? And he said, “I NEVER WANT TO.”
I realized I had just had one of those “life’s lessons” moments, taught to me by an unsuspecting person God placed in my path. I wondered if I loved God as much as Dr. Brooks loved Peggy. God never leaves or forsakes me. He provides my every need. He listens when I talk, forgives when I ask. He cures all my diseases, loves me unconditionally. He even rewards me when I go home. Could I say that God is not just the love of my life, He IS my life? Can I ever imagine living without Him? Can I say, “I never want to?”
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