Where is my wife?! Where is my wife?!
My dad asked as several nurses ran into his room screaming, “She was right here. Where did she go?” Suddenly, one of them saw her in the hallway and said, “He is asking for you. Please come fast!” Panicked, my mom rushed into the room, stood beside my dad, and said, I am here.
As he heard her voice and looked at her, instantly his vital signs returned to normal.
All was at rest.

Utterly stunned, the medical team stood speechless! And one after another, they walked out of his room.

The reason!

Such were the occurrences at 4:45 one morning in the hospital when my dad was in the ICU. My mom wanted to step out for a minute before I picked her up. So, she told him she was leaving. And she walked out of his room, where for weeks she had slept on a hospital chair next to his bed. Over many decades, they have said such words  to each other countless times. And each time, the unspoken words: “I’ll be back,” were implied. My mom thought this time would be the same. But it was not!

As soon as she stepped out of his room, his vital signs dropped below healthy levels, and the clinical alarms were blaring! It seemed inexplicable. However, in retrospect, it was not. Believing his haven was gone, his body went into shock. It later occurred to me that it was a sign of true masculinity, i.e., power that unashamedly acknowledges the value a life partner has and offers, thereby engendering unshakeable loyalty.

Worth it!

Today, some say love and marriage are risky endeavors and should be steered away because others might let you down and abandon you. But many also ignore the reality that true love is a stabilizing force, and when right, marriage is a haven.

In my mom and dad, I see a lucid depiction of true love. They offer each other a safe place to be vulnerable, and living with such confidence is also a gift to them. They have cultivated a bond so strong that when she implored him to breathe, he did. She knows him as well as Beethoven knows the Midnight Sonata. And he is confident that he is known, seen, and accepted because he took the risk to truly and fully love her. As she did. They belong to each other.

.

True Love is…

That day, I witnessed the true meaning of making love – the term we often reduce to a mere activity. – The same activity is often associated with illicit occupations, crime, addictions, and selfish indulgences. As love is not a mere action, making love is not an activity. Love is life, and it manifests as a relentless commitment expressed in selflessness and respect for self and others.

Unfortunately, because of a broken heart or stories of broken lives stemming from the former, we might conclude that love is not a worthwhile proposition. However, when love is true, it is safe. Two belong to each other. – They are not owned by each other, but they find their home with each other.

Love is life!

Friend, I hope you take the risk of truly loving another, and true love meets you.

For you and to you,
Aké

Image credit: Pixabay | GeralT