Rare glimpse into genuine love

I just thought that I must write about this event where I had the opportunity to witness what I call “rare declaration of true and genuine feeling”. I have always said that when it comes to public events like parties, weddings and funerals, mostly funerals, people do not hesitate to declare love for the dead person. After all, it is either regret for not telling the person while alive or to impress the living. Whatever the reason, I always take the outpouring of love for the dead with a pinch of salt.

We all have either heard of someone or have witnessed it ourselves where the dead person while alive really suffered and sometimes was so emotionally dealt with or abandoned by the so called loved ones and when the person passes to the great beyond, the eulogy is something else. Read the papers and you will see all sorts of spousal abuse… that is what I am talking about. But this piece is not about the dead; on the contrary it is about the living.

A couple of weekends ago, a friend of mine had a birthday party but the interesting thing is not the party, it is the hubby of this my friend. We are friends because our kids are best friends so they (the kids) forced us into friendship but they are one of the loveliest couples one can encounter and they are ordinary people. (Of course if they are my friends they can only be ordinary people).

My friend, auntie O and Mrs B was also having a thanksgiving because just weeks before, she had a surgery that went awry (in God’s own countryooo) but God was present as ever to show who He has always been …God and what He has always been… faithful. When the complication developed following a “simple surgery” she had to be opened up again and again and go under general anaesthetics three times within two weeks, she asked for her husband.

When she was telling me the story of this procedure, sending for her husband did not hit me like a major bullet but on this party/thanksgiving day when her husband recounted the whole thing, I still did not get it until I got home from the party and was reflecting on the whole event. The husband had to make a speech (as I think spouses do on such occasions) and he said some interesting things. He said he loves his wife, he mentioned actions, events and everyday things that show that he does to show it and how his wife merits everything. This may sound ordinary, but the way he said it, there was a genuineness that I had not seen in a very long time actually I do not think I have ever seen it. There were no flowery words, there were no smart choice of words…everything was real and so very real.

Her sister drove it home for me… my friend sent for her husband because “If he is there, then she is more than likely to pull through”… do you get the picture now? Her strength was failing her… her husband was who she must have around. No surprises, the guy arrived and said, the picture was scary…he just left the theatre to face the wall and plead his case to God.

This couple have renewed my hope in the ability for humans to really love and genuinely too.