Do You Know ???????

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when 

an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived 

to have stitches removed from his thumb. 

He said he was in a hurry as he had an 

appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital 

signs and had him take a seat, knowing 

it would be over an hour before someone 

would to 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,

I asked him if he had another 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 inquired as to her health. He told

me that she had been there for a while and that she

was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I

asked if she would be upset 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 go 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 arm, 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.With all the

jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that

comes along that has an important message.. This one I

thought I could share. The happiest people don't necessarily 

have the best of everything; they just make the best of

everything they have. Life isn't about how to survive the 

storm, But how to dance in the rain. We are all getting Older.

Tomorrow may be our turn.

DEEPAK