
It was love-at-first-sight!
When Jane and Bill first met to at a mutual friend's birthday celebration they knew they were meant to be together; for life. So after a few months of dating and some premarital counsel, the date was set, the invites sent and a 50 year journey began! The journey was filled with sweet memories and some bitter moments and challenges. Despite the issues they always managed found a way back to each other. Although their lives might have appeared ordinary to outsiders, for them, they were unique, and throughout the ebb and flow of life, their love never faltered. They never once allowed the issues to turn their hearts away from each other.
Jane and Bill celebrated life events together, such as their children's birthdays, their grandchildren's Christmas visits, and gatherings with family during celebrations and holidays. As they both got up there in years they faced a challenging diagnosis for Jane: Alzheimer's disease. When the specialist informed Bill of Jane's condition and warned him that, eventually, she may need institutional care, it shattered his heart. Initially, Bill cared for Jane at home for several months. However, as her condition worsened, he had to make the difficult decision to place her in a specialized Alzheimer's care facility.
Despite the heartache, Bill remained devoted to Jane and visited her regularly in the care facility. On Jane's first birthday there, Bill was pleasantly surprised to see her laughing and singing with joy. From that moment, he made it a point to bring her favorite things, such as balloons, flowers, and miniature chocolate cakes, to celebrate "her birthday" every time he visited Jane. He often enlisted the help of the staff to create these joyful birthday celebrations for, which turned each of his weekly visits into a special occasion filled with laughter, love, and cherished memories.
Bill took a proactive approach to this difficult time. He took a graceful, loving, selfless approach instead of reacting with complaining, blaming, or hating.
He was a graceful messenger of love and joy!
"Proactive people show you what they love, what they want, what they purpose, and what they stand for. These people are very different from those who are known by what they hate, what they don’t like, what they stand against, and what they will not do."
“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,”
Romans 5:20 NIV
Drs. JM & Anita Arrunategui / Canva pro/Excerpt: Drs. JM & Anita Arrunategui / Canva pro/Excerpt: "Boundaries "/Henry Cloud
The content published is for informational purposes. The content included in this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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