I post pictures because I love eye candy mostly, but today I post pictures to familiarize you with the people in the story.
My son and his 2 boys several years ago. Boys are now 19 and 11.
Son and hubby last summer in southern California.
My son and his 2 boys several years ago. Boys are now 19 and 11.
Son and hubby last summer in southern California.
Son, wife and boys at thanksgiving 5 or 6 years ago.
I'll try to get through this without sobbing but, alas, that seems to be the "mood of the day" since my son told me this story 2 days ago. Let me start from the beginning a few years back.
My son and daughter have both done very well. Neither one needs to work anymore and they're in their mid 40s. They worked diligently to get where they are and simply love to work. They are both very loving kids and treat their parents very well emotionally and financially, although, we ask them to stop giving us stuff! Hubby and I are very proud of both of them. This story is about our son, who I'll just refer to at "K" since I don't often give out their names publicly. This is absolutely NOT to brag but it makes a difference when you know the whole story.
K, my son, and his wife own care homes in southern California. She is the business manager for them because if she depended on K they'd be toast! LOL She has the head for business and he has the heart. ;-) So after golfing, which is the love of his life after wife and 2 boys - now 19 and 11 - K decided to go back to school and get a nursing degree this time. You wouldn't believe what they pay out each month in nursing fees for their care homes. If K had an RN degree they could keep that money and start a side business to complement their care home business. So he got the RN degree last year and wanted to work for the VA hospital. He has always been a tender-hearted kid and just wanted to give back to his country since he was in the Marines as a 21 year old young man. He was hired. This is where the story I'm about to tell you begins. You needed that background.
Several days ago he had 4 days off. Well, he works the night shift so it can give him time to golf (Heaven forbid, he can't golf every single day, but he honors the Sabbath and does not golf on sunday). There's a man in a bed on his floor in the VA Hospital named M, affectionately known as Big M. He has cancer. He and his wife talked it over and prayed about it and they decided to be aggressive in their pursuit of the cancer. K and he bonded because he's a former Marine also. When K came back on duty that night after 4 days off Big M started sobbing. Now this is a 6' 5", 240 lb. man. He sobbed and hugged Keith because he was so glad to see him. K is the only one there that takes such good care of him that he really missed him. His wife has also befriended my son. K went out from the curtain around M's bed to get to the other side and the patient in another bed called his name "K"!! K turned and looked and the other patient had a big smile on his face and told him also that he was soooo glad K was back. All the patients on K's floor say he is the one who cares about them. He will drop whatever he's doing to get them their pain meds. He says that is the most important thing in the world to him - making sure they have their pain medications. They absolutely adore and love him and K loves them much also. He just wants to make a difference in the lives of those who have fought for our country.
He called me and told me they removed a chunk of M's colon the other night and told me specifics about it that aren't printable here but K says it's still very serious. I cried and cried. Then I thought about our religion. My son holds the Priesthood of God and can give blessings. I told him to go and give M a blessing of healing. K said mom, he isn't our religion. I said it doesn't matter. He said I'm not sure he'd accept it. I said any man or woman who is dying would accept it no matter what; you/they don't give up hope!! I was adamant about him finding another priesthood holder, perhaps even in the hospital, and asking M if he'd accept a blessing. K felt hope at that point and said he'd absolutely do it.
Well, not one to sit around and wait for things to happen and also because it touched my heart so much, I called K last night and asked for M's room and bed number. He couldn't believe I'd call M myself and just chuckled. Now, this is a man who's been raised by me his whole life and doesn't get it?!?!?!? So I rang up M and his wife answered the phone at his bedside. (K's only instruction to me was to make it short as he is on heavy pain meds. Sheeeesh!! LOL) I asked for M and she asked who I was and I told her and she handed M the phone. I introduced myself to him and he was flabbergasted that a mother of his nurse would call him in a hospital bed in Calif. all the way from Idaho. He also said I sounded like a teenager. I guess I had his wife a bit "concerned" for a few seconds wondering what chick would be calling her hubby. But I didn't keep him on the line long and I asked him what religion he was. He told me and I asked him if K could give him a blessing. He was astounded and I think he was in tears to think my son loved him so much and I loved him so much to help him live long enough to see his 6 kids get through college. M is a 30 year old black man and we're white. Color of skin has absolutely nothing to do with love in your heart. He told me that he could not believe someone who didn't even know him could care so much about him. Yes, we love M and he's touched our lives so deeply just in the past few days. K will give him a blessing and we're hoping beyond hope he is left on this earth for many years more. He and his wife sounded like sweethearts and I'm sure he and K are friends for life, however long that may be for either of them.
I've wept and sobbed my heart for 2 days on this. I can't even begin to imagine how it would be for M and his wife and their 6 children who must be young if he's only 30 years old. I've prayed so much these last 2 days for the Lord to spare this wonderful young man. I know my son will never ever forget him. I won't either. He loves my son and my son loves him. They'll have a bond that transcends this life into the next one. I'll meet M someday whether in California or heaven and when I do I'll smooch and hug that huge man for the love he has given my son and the love my son feels for him.
It's taken me hours to write this. I've sobbed and wept through a half box of tissues but I think it's important for people to truly feel this love "that knows no end." Transcends gender, color, religion, background, age, etc. Love is love. You either have it or you don't. I'm talking about that "true love of Christ."
I had to write this to get it out of my head and heart. I ask only that those reading it pray for this sweet young man and his wife that he makes it. Prayer can definitely help. If you don't believe that then there isn't much more to be said. I believe that my son and my daughter both have this kind of love in their hearts. I'm very proud of both of them!
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The parents who raised this boy.......uuuuuhhhh, we were a bit younger in this picture but yep, it's us in our "yuppie" days in Mexico. Gotta laugh at those hairdos and the weird hat they made hubs put on that day. Sheeeesh........ ;-)
