My friend Alan married Geneva in 1954. She went to Heaven last week.
Her memory and mental ability started leaving about 20 years ago, when the symptoms of Alzheimer’s started to show.
Since that time she depended on Alan’s constant presence as her comfort. Her mental grip on the world grew weak. Not much made sense to her anymore. But he always did.
So he stayed with her. At home. All the time.
He missed church, family trips, leadership opportunities, travel and time with friends. He missed all of it. And yet he tells me – with simple and candid sincerity – that he didn’t miss a thing.
I love Alan because he gets annoyed when anybody tries to tell him what a sacrifice he has made these twenty years. He actually shushes you as quickly as he can.
His honest response is that he would not have it any other way.
His is a simple take on the situation.
A man keeps his word. A promise is a promise. That is all there is to it. True love comes through. It is not a sacrifice. It is what any Christian man would do.
I love him because when I talk with him I get the sense that he really believes all he did is what any and every married man should do. No more and no less.
And he is right.
But so few do.