This week, I went to visit my grandma in a nursing home. Unfortunately, her recent fall had exacerbated her Alzheimer's and she was sometimes uncooperative. She had some problems remembering my name, but said I was "one of the girls." That answer satiated me. After all, I do look a lot like my sisters.
Here are some happier memories. My grandparents had us all go to a nice hotel restaurant for their 40th anniversary. We gave them a gold clock (which remains on their stereo today). While I didn't think that 40 years was really that long, I saw the dedication it takes for this kind of marriage this week. My grandpa is at the nursing home every day until the visiting hours are over and is completely dedicated to my grandma, even if she does not know his name.
That kind of marriage does not occur very often anymore. When the going gets tough in friendships, relationships, marriages, it is easier to leave or ignore the problem. It takes deep loyalty and genuine character to stand by someone no matter what. I love them beyond words and cannot thank them enough for modeling how to stand by those vows they made long ago.
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