My parents were married for 55 years. One morning, my mom was going downstairs to make my dad breakfast when she had a heart attack. She died. My father picked her up as best as he could and almost carried her into his truck at full speed, ignoring the traffic lights. He drove her to the hospital, but when he arrived, unfortunately, she was no longer with us......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
During the funeral, my father never spoke a word. His gaze was lost, and he hardly cried. As he joined the funeral procession, he remembered the beautiful moments they shared and asked my brother where my mom would be at the moment. My brother started talking about life and death, and guessed where she would be. My father suddenly said, “Let’s go to the cemetery right now.” My brother tried to argue, but my father said, “Please don’t argue with a man who just lost his wife of 55 years.”
There was a moment of respectful silence. We didn’t argue anymore. We went to the cemetery in a flash. My father sat down and said, “You know, no one can really talk about true love if they haven’t lived it with someone.” He personally wiped his face and recounted the times they shared: when they changed jobs, sold the house, moved, and supported each other through the joy of parenting and the pain of losing loved ones. He continued, “We forgave mistakes and cherished the waiting room of life together. And now that she’s gone, I’m happy because she didn’t have to go through the agony and pain of being left alone.”
My father then paused and said, “I love her so much that I wouldn’t have wanted her to suffer after my departure.” As my father finished speaking, my brother and I had tears streaming down our faces. He comforted us, saying, “It’s OK, we can go home. It’s been a good day.” That night, I understood what true love is. It’s more than just physical intimacy. It’s about two people who stand beside each other, committed through all of life’s ups and downs.
