This story dates back a couple years ago, right before my wedding anniversary.

As I look back over the years, I smile as I remember all the love, laughter and adventures we have shared. I also reflect on the bad times we have gone through and realize, as we worked through those times together, it is what helps shape and strengthen our marriage while bringing us closer. I have been thinking about how blessed I feel to have married my best friend and feel proud we have already made it this far together. 

With all my thoughts of love, I keep thinking about one of my patients I had the pleasure of caring for, for 2 nights, last week during my night shifts. He kept calling me babe, which I didn’t mind since he is 89 and had the most gentle, caring way of holding my hand and thanking me for my nursing care.  On our second night together he told me he was having trouble falling asleep so, of course, I offered him Healing Touch to promote relaxation and help him ease into sleep. 

After a 20 minute session, he held my hand while he told me what I did was wonderful and really helped him relax. And then he mention how during the Healing Touch session he was reminded of his first wife, who had passed away from cancer over 40 years ago. He continued to hold my hand as he took a moment of silence to remember her. His eyes sparkled and a slight smile came across his face, I sensed he was remembering happy times with her. I sat down at the bedside, took a deep breath and focused on the moment, wanting to be fully present with him. I wanted to provide emotional support for him during this time and I was also eager to hear his memories. 

His voice softened as he began to tell me how much he loved her and also, how much he missed her. Even though it had been more than 40 years and he had remarried, his love for her hadn’t faded. A tear came to his eye as he said, “in the 1940’s all the songs were love songs.” He paused for a moment, as if listening to a love song from his memories, then he told me that him and his wife loved listening to love songs together. He explained to me how they would each pick out a love song to play that evening to express their love and emotions to each other. It was their way of reconnecting and experiencing a renewed sense of love each day. He paused for a moment, gripped my hand tighter as he allowed a few big tears to release from his eyes. I simply blotted them with a tissue and encouraged him to let it go and feel the love he was missing from his wife. 

A few moments later, he looked over at me, still holding my hand, and told me that love is all you need. He said all the crazy technology of modern day and materialism of society has pulled us away from the essence of marriage, feeling and expressing love. He encouraged me that love will heal everything and that each day, my husband and I need to take time to experience and express our love to each other. 

It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced with a patient. His words of wisdom will forever stay with me and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to care for him. He inspired me. As we enter into our 7th year of marriage, our new happy-marriage-motto will be Love Is All You Need.