This week, Father Don had a really incredible post about love, and given that's what this day is all about, it seems only appropriate to share here:
The 60-year-old attorney, well-known for his pro bono work and passion for justice, died of cancer diagnosed about 6 months earlier. During the months of hope and treatment, he was lovingly cared for by Jane, his wife of 30 years. At one point, while not yet immobilized, Jim eulogized her on his CaringBridge site. “She drops me at the office in the morning and picks me up at the end of the day. Fixes my breakfast, packs my lunch, serves me dinner, and cleans the kitchen. She keeps track of my medical appointments and hauls my sorry ass around to every single one of them. The bulk of the house cleaning devolves on her. Oh, did I mention that she also works full-time outside the home? That she spends every Saturday with her 92-year-old mother, doing her shopping, bathing her, tidying up and just being with her?” When people marvel at this, Jane says: "He would've done the same for me." Witnessing the loving relationship they had rules out wishful thinking on her part.
The same week as Jim's death, a letter came from 28-year-old Tom telling of a frequent experience in a person's quest for a partner: "It was a trying year for me personally. A year ago I went through a very bad breakup with my girlfriend of two years the week I started my new job, and it has been hard to stay focused. Without getting into the details, the circumstances surrounding the ending of our relationship really shook my confidence in people, relationships, God, and myself." He found it shattering enough to seek counseling in regard to his faith, heretofore pretty sturdy. When we love others we make ourselves vulnerable to such almost inevitable and disheartening moments. Without underestimating the pain and sadness of breaking up, the relationship of 30 years described above makes such experiences worth the risk.
Here's wishing all of you the kind of love the attorney and his wife enjoyed. Happy Valentine's Day.
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