Love begins when we grow old

By Dr. Chris Anthony
Butterworth, Malaysia
Op/Ed
Catholic Online

On a recent trip back home, I happened to meet an elderly gentleman, whom we fondly call, Uncle George I have not met him for many years. I used to know him since I was a schoolboy. As school children we used to accompany him to visit the sick in hospital and also visit the St.Vincent de Paul society adoptee in their homes. In fact it was these hospital visits with him that in a way inspired me to take up medicine as a career.

His greatest gift was his perpetual cheerfulness. As a matter of fact we have never seen him angry or sad. Because of this gift of his he was well liked by all, especially the children. Even now amidst all his problems he still is cheerful as ever.

He now lives alone with his wife, both in their eighties, and spends all his time taking care of her, who is now handicapped due to an accident. He still cycles out to town, few miles away, several times a day to get food for himself and his wife.

I greeted him and invited him to join my wife and me for breakfast. His meal cost me just a few dollars. He told us about his family and his wife who happened to be rather sickly of late. We wished him well and left.

A week later I was surprised to receive a letter from him praising me and my wife with such fantastic words, praises that we don't really deserve. The following paragraph in his letter really touched me and my wife. I quote,

"This year I am 86 and my wife is 82.If we can live till 28.12.06 we will be married for 60 years and we can live to celebrate our diamond jubilee. Yes, you know doctor true love begins when we grow old; I think I love my wife more than I first met her. But soon we will have to part".

A mere two dollars, few encouraging words and the willingness to listen was all that was needed to touch a life in the form of Uncle George. In return his invaluable experience of "TRUE LOVE" managed to touch us deeply. His experience in life is a reminder to us that love, contrary to what we think, never fades, it only grows with time.

This reinforces by fervent belief that there are still lot of good things in life that cannot be obtained with money and power and that, is the greatest gift of God to us. I was very touched by the love and care the elderly gentleman had for his sickly wife of 60 years that I wrote to our local Catholic Weekly, Herald and the editor decided to publish my story. This brought many old friends and relatives to visit Uncle George and his wife. Uncle George kept on writing letter after letter praising and thanking us for the "great" things we had done for them.

We revisited elderly couple a few weeks later and were surprised at what we witnessed.

Uncle George and auntie Grace were overjoyed to have visitors who came after seeing the above story in the Herald. They were particularly grateful to Herald for publishing those letters. There were also numerous phone calls from long lost friends and relatives. I could virtually see the glow of happiness in their faces. These were the things that he really longed for.

I hope more will continue to visit uncle and his wife. Their request to us all is simple. This is what he said: "It is not money, gifts or food that we need. All we ask for is the love of fellow humans to spare some time for elderly people like us who are so lonely".

In my conversation with them I realized they had a great fear of loneliness. They have everything they need - house, food, and clothing -but all they long for is the company of people, children, grandchildren and friends. This experience led us to look out for many others who are also in similar situations. I understand that the fear of loneliness is not peculiar to this couple. Many other elderly couples also share similar sentiments..

The strange thing is that this fear was also there when we were children, but our parents were there to console and reassure us. But when our parents are in the twilight of their lives, we as children are not there to comfort them and allay their fears. We are too busy and preoccupied with our jobs and families.

There are hundreds, may be thousands, of uncles George scattered all over in our parishes, living in loneliness and fear of imminent death not of themselves but of their spouse. They are desperately yearning for our love. All we need is to spare some time for them.

As Christians are we on the look out for such people who yearn for our love and affection? Some of us may be too busy with our work that we do not recognize them although they are in our midst. All we do is recite a few decades of the rosary or offer a short prayer, but is that enough? Christ I'm would expect more from us than that.

Our priests and religious must take the lead. They must lead us, the laity, to search and reach out to the hundreds of such people in our parish. These days the priests are increasingly seen as mere administrators of church rituals which by them serve no purpose without any substance. As people of God let's rally behind our pastors in search of those in need and extend the love that Christ has bestowed upon.

Very often we are quick to anoint the sick and dying when in coma and subsequently give them a grand funeral, rather than being supportive and be with him when he was alive earlier. Let's be more willing to share our love with the living rather than the dead.

In a world where marriage is not sacred anymore and couples resort to divorce for the slightest problem, the love of Uncle George for his ailing wife of 60 years touched me in many ways. I am resolved to emulate him in my life as well. It further strengthens my firm belief that our spouse is Christ's selected gift to us and we must treasure them till deaths do us apart.

All couples intending to get married, those having marital problems and want to rejuvenate the fading love in marriage should make a visit to Uncle George and his wife and I'm sure they will be able to touch you as well.

Contact

JLC Consultancy
http://drctoni@blogspot.com , MY
Chris Anthony - Director, 604 3513959

Email

drchris@inbox.com

Keywords

Love

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »