A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
"Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times
before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack,
he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine
standing outside the oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers
around the old man's limp ones,
squeezing a message
of love and
encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair
so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night
the young Marine sat there
in the poorly lighted ward,
holding the old man's hand
and offering him
words of love
and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested
that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.
Whenever the nurse came into the ward,
the Marine was oblivious of her
and of the night noises of the hospital –
the clanking of the oxygen tank,
the laughter of the night staff members
exchanging greetings,
the cries and moans
of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing,
only held tightly to his son
all through the night.
Along towards dawn,
the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand
he had been holding
and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do,
he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy,
but the Marine interrupted her.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled,
"He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied.
"I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something
when I took you to him?"
"I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son,
and his son just wasn't here.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell
whether or not I was his son,
knowing how much he needed me,
I stayed.” 1
That is the power of Love.
Love is something if you give it away,
you've got to give it away,
give it away
Love is something
if you give it away,
you'll end up
having more.
Love is like a lucky penny;
hold it tight
and you won't have any.
But, give it away
and you'll have plenty.
You'll end up
having more. 2
"Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times
before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack,
he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine
standing outside the oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers
around the old man's limp ones,
squeezing a message
of love and
encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair
so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night
the young Marine sat there
in the poorly lighted ward,
holding the old man's hand
and offering him
words of love
and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested
that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.
Whenever the nurse came into the ward,
the Marine was oblivious of her
and of the night noises of the hospital –
the clanking of the oxygen tank,
the laughter of the night staff members
exchanging greetings,
the cries and moans
of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing,
only held tightly to his son
all through the night.
Along towards dawn,
the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand
he had been holding
and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do,
he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy,
but the Marine interrupted her.
"Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled,
"He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied.
"I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something
when I took you to him?"
"I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son,
and his son just wasn't here.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell
whether or not I was his son,
knowing how much he needed me,
I stayed.” 1
That is the power of Love.
Love is something if you give it away,
you've got to give it away,
give it away
Love is something
if you give it away,
you'll end up
having more.
Love is like a lucky penny;
hold it tight
and you won't have any.
But, give it away
and you'll have plenty.
You'll end up
having more. 2
Love, if you have it,
you don't need to have anything else,
and if you don't have it,
it doesn't matter much
what else you have. 3
We are not human beings
going through
a temporary spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings
going through
a temporary
human experience. 4
you don't need to have anything else,
and if you don't have it,
it doesn't matter much
what else you have. 3
We are not human beings
going through
a temporary spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings
going through
a temporary
human experience. 4
The next time someone needs you . . .
just be there.
Stay.
This is what we are
put on this earth to do, Right?
The most powerful force is love.
Without love,
you have nothing;
only a lonely, and empty trip
on a meaningless life journey.
just be there.
Stay.
This is what we are
put on this earth to do, Right?
The most powerful force is love.
Without love,
you have nothing;
only a lonely, and empty trip
on a meaningless life journey.
____________________________
Acknowledgements:
[1] - Being Human ~Unknown
[2] - Magic Penny
[3] ~ Sir James M. Barrie
[4] ~Unknown
Media: Power Of Love (Celine Dion)
Acknowledgements:
[1] - Being Human ~Unknown
[2] - Magic Penny
[3] ~ Sir James M. Barrie
[4] ~Unknown
Media: Power Of Love (Celine Dion)
| _______________________________________________________ A MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey Roadside assistance for your Journey through Life _______________________________________________________ |
For prayer requests and more, visit our sister site Stella Maris,
- a place where truth and beauty dwells: or write for information.
- a place where truth and beauty dwells: or write for information.
To submit comments, requests or materials,
contact me at: outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
contact me at: outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
I gladly welcome all article, haiku, humour and poem contributions
For empowerment workshops and seminars see: http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle
For empowerment workshops and seminars see: http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle
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