Looking Inward with Lily

The chest pains escalate and suddenly he is lying on a hospital bed where the cardiologist announces, “We have to insert a stent into your heart.” His first thought is not for himself but for his wife. He wonders what will happen to her while he is in the hospital. How long will they be apart? Who will take care of her? Will she be okay? This is the first time in forty years that he won’t be by her side and his heart is crying out.

She could walk for miles, loved to dance, and stories have been told of how she would swim in the Irish Sea. Her love of dancing led to their first meeting at a local dance hall. They were married soon after and lived a happy life with their two children. One day he started noticing how tired she seemed. Another day she stumbled. She started feeling numbness and tingling sensations but didn’t say anything hoping it would go away. Then one day as she carried groceries home from the store her legs felt weaker than normal. Suddenly the legs that once helped push her across an ocean collapsed to the concrete path below. Bloodied and bruised she tried to pick herself up from the ground. He ran to her side and they both looked at each other… it was time to go see a doctor.

Nauseas and healing from heart surgery he fights the pain. He knows he has to stay strong and recover quickly so he can be with her again. The time in the hospital feels like an eternity. Each day as the sun rises he wonders how she is feeling and each night as the sun sets he prays for her safe keeping. He is thankful for family members who take care of her while he cannot.

Over the years Multiple Sclerosis took a slow toll on her body. The legs that once danced now rested in a wheelchair. The arms that once cradled her children lovingly lay motionless by her side. Her once energetic body exhausted by a disease that took away so much but could never take away her inward strength to keep fighting.

The first thing he does when he is released from the hospital is go see her. He sits by her bed, holds her hand and tells her how beautiful she looks. He asks jokingly if she missed him. Her eyes light up and she smiles. They are together again and that is what makes them both happy. Their love is simple, their love is kind, they are an inspiration… they are my parents!