Dear Family and Friends,
Though my legs ache with tiredness and my face has the numb and tingly feeling I often experience just before drifting off to sleep, ten minutes of no movement in my hospital chair does not turn my mind’s lights out. After a little ice-cold water from the hallway water fountain awakens first my lips and thereafter my brain, I have decided to finish the story about the second time a patient elicited strong emotional feelings.
The second time is right now. The patient is the one who lies beside me, fighting for her life. Now more than ever, I realize the depth of my feelings for Nancy. Even after twenty-seven years, looking at her in the early morning light makes me excited and completely (and fully) alive. I can hardly wait for her eyes to open so I can hold her hand and place a kiss on her lips. It feels just as it did when we had our very first date.
If you hadn’t already guessed, our first date was the night after Nancy’s visit to the clinic in Yellowstone National Park when she and her friend, Patricia, decided to see if I would return promptly from my backcountry rescue mission. It now seems like fate that she waited rather than going elsewhere. If she had left the clinic, our paths would have never crossed.
After a long-distance romance that brought us together a mere twelve days over the next six months (because she lived far away in the city of Boston), Nancy and I got married. My friends thought I was crazy. (They were right. I was crazy about my gentle soul mate. And I still am.)
Summary: Nancy’s illness has certainly led to a reaffirmation of my feelings for her. My love for Nancy is unwavering, as is my resolve to help her triumph in this battle.
Thanks,
Winnie