愛之真諦

What Love Is All About

It was a busy morning， approximately 8：30 am， when an elderly gentleman in his 80s， arrived to have 1）stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9：00 am. I took his 2）vital signs and had him take a seat， knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided， since I was not busy with another patient， I would evaluate his wound. On exam it was well healed， so I talked to one of the doctors， got the needed supplies to remove his 3）sutures and 4）redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound， we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctor’s appointment this morning， as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no， that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of 5）Alzheimer’s Disease.

As we talked， and I finished dressing his wound， I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was， that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised， and asked him， “And you still go every morning， even though she doesn’t know who you are？” He smiled as he patted my hand and said， “She doesn’t know me， but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm， and thought， “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical， nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is， has been， will be， and will not be. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything； they just make the best of everything that comes along their way.

那是一個忙碌的早上，大概在八點半左右，一位八十多歲的老先生來拆除大拇指上的縫線。他說他趕時間，因為他九點約了人。我知道一個小時之內沒有人會有空管他，于是我就給他測量了生命體征，讓他找個位置坐下來。看到他一直在看表，我想，既然我現在沒有別的病人，可以給他看看傷口。檢查后我發現他的傷口愈合良好，我與醫生交流后，拿到了必要的器具，準備給他拆線，再重新包扎傷口。

在處理傷口時，我跟他聊了起來。我問他，這么著急是不是早上約了醫生。他說不是，他要到老人院去跟他妻子共進早餐。接著我詢問他妻子的身體情況，他說她患有阿爾茨海默癥，她已經在老人院住了好一段時間了。

我們繼續交談著。我在給他包扎完傷口后問，如果他晚到了一點，他妻子會不會擔心。他回答道：她早就不再知道他是何人了，她不認得他已經有五年時間了。我聽了很吃驚，問道：“既然她都不認得你，那你還每天早上都去？”他笑著拍拍我的手，說：“她不知道我是誰，但我還知道她是誰啊。”

他離開時，我強忍著眼淚，手臂上起了雞皮疙瘩，心想：“這就是我想要的愛情。”

真正的愛情既與肉體無關，也不浪漫。真正的愛情是接受現在、過去、未來的一切，無論好壞。最幸福的人不一定是擁有極致美好的人，他們不過是一路走來，盡力讓一切變得美好罷了。