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."
...................................
The next time someone needs you ... just be
there.
WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE
"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."
...................................
The next time someone needs you ... just be
there.
WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE