I still remember the first time Leroy said “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
It broke my heart.
I didn’t tell him it broke my heart, but it made me so sad to hear those words. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would find myself “taking care of him” as he fought for his life in the prime of his life. It didn’t make any sense. This was a man who made a living covering conflict and war. He saw the worst poverty. He saw how inhumane this world can be and he lived through many close-calls where death shadowed his steps. He would reach out when he could to help those in peril.
And I was taking care of him?
I always knew he appreciated the care. I knew he was comfortable and safe and I know he knew he was loved. That’s what care giving is supposed to be about.
I never wanted him to thank me.
October 16, 2013 @ 8:24 pm
All these years later I still thank my husband for being here for me. And I still tear up when relating our story, and am doing so now.
October 16, 2013 @ 7:33 pm
Jim often thanked me for taking care of him and it was hard to keep the tears back but I would smile and tell him I loved him and if the shoe was on the other foot I knew he would take care of me…he was always so grateful. I loved it and I hated it…
October 16, 2013 @ 7:22 pm
I’ve come to believe it’s a great gift to be given the opportunity to take care of those we love; it’s the deepest form of trust, because the vulnerability is so great and so intimate.
A friend just last week received word that her brother, just 57, never a smoker, a total jock, has metastatic lung cancer. She and her sisters and other family members are just devastated. It’s impossible to make sense of.
October 16, 2013 @ 6:45 pm
Sometimes “Thank you” speaks volumes especially when it comes from the heart.