**The man hurried to his early morning doctor’s appointment, anxious to see his physician and leave in time for his next appointment across town.
The practitioner asked the man what the urgent demand on his time was. He replied he went every morning to see his wife at the memory care facility where she’d been the last seven years. Alzheimer’s disease afflicted her, stealing every recollection of her former life, including him. The doctor asked the man why he went, when his wife no longer knew him. He replied, “Because I remember her.”**
Sadness tugged at my heart when I first read this post, having had friends and family consumed by this terrifying disease. Watching a loved one slowly slip away from reality, though he or she still lives, wrenches your spirit.
But the excerpt also stirred feelings of happiness, knowing an unknown husband devoted himself to his wife’s care enough to sacrifice his time daily, with no prospect of having the commitment returned. That kind of love is hard to find in this self-absorbed culture in which we live.
In John 13:34-35 (NKJV) Jesus commanded us to love one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Valentine’s Day is a great time to renew your commitment to love others—not only the romantic interests in your life—but your fellow man. Every day each of us encounters someone who is lonely, forgotten, hurting, or ignored. Take time to remember them as Christ remembers you. Be interested enough to listen with a whole heart. You may mend someone’s sorrow. Happy Valentine’s Day.
**(Adapted from another article, author unknown)
Happy Love Day to you also.