This is from an emergency room nurse.

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a. m., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to! go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there are some that come along that have an important message! , and this is one of those kind. Just had to share it with you all.

Oh, by the way, peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Received as an e-mail from a close friend.

In the base of the universe a black hole is found
It brings to its center the lost pieces of the milky way
In this ever expanding space of pushing and pulling
The parts of the center are gathered from far away

And in the vacuum we call space it is trillions of miles
To the second nearest star as we sit in the blackness there
On this earth that has all that we could ever need
Placed in such a way for all of us to force us to share

Here in the center of the universe in the deep darkness
The light of life we call the sun shines on us every day
Given by the master's hand for humans and all the rest
Here in His big black hole on earth He humbles us to pray

Not one of us can escape the universe because of our life
Here on earth in the center of the star belt we live
Alone in space where his image is in human life form
Bound to earth by simple gravity all that God could give

Written originally as a comment on the blog Living and dying in 5/4 time 3/26/06

Most of us think that what we are is what we do
We labor for the dollar by trading our time for it
We often think that how we make our living defines us
But, we should no better, for it defines us not

The real definition of us is our persona, it's true
For the tasks of life may change as we go through it
Our labor explains nothing but likely undermines us
For the truth of our own personality is what we got

From our parents and our mentors as we live our life
What we become depends so greatly on childhood years
If when as children we are treated in some evil way
An evil darkness fills our souls that should never be

Or if we grow through constant kindness and no strife
And live in gratitude for living with no daily fears
Our persona is one of happiness so thankful every day
And share what we really are with friends along the way

A painted wagon with a callistoga top
Was parked there by the river side
The family was cooking at this stop
Out in the open and nothing to hide

There beside the stream among the trees
The children played some hide and seek
A baby's cry was carried on the breeze
And the dad was fishing in the creek

Twas right around noon when first I saw
That painted wagon, the girl with black hair
I heard that they were running from the law
But I didn't see the sheriff any where

There on the river bank the family settled in
Dad caught some fish and brought them back
The woman got a frying pan to put them in
After eating lunch they all pitched in to pack

Their meager belongings into the wagon went
They stopped long enough their family to feed
And from a distance I saw that they had spent
The several hours to satisfy a single need

Where they might have gone I will never know
The family in the painted wagon that I saw
Next to the river when I was young and so
It brings back memories of Bryant Arkansas

When it is hot I want to walk in the shade on the dark side
On the dark side, in the shadows of life we can be cool

The dark side of our selves can be out in the open and not seen
Because within our selves we can break the golden rule

And only we will know that the horror that we think about
Can remain within us deep inside while we can play the fool

But when others delve into our inner being and then expose
our darkest feelings that we try to hide just like a ghoul

They discover there within us the frightening and the scary
Hidden deep dark secrets of our lives that haunt our soul

The hidden secrets that we alone are sure of what they are
Until we trust another deeply, and allow the secrets to unfold

Sometimes we try our hardest not let our darkest side prevail
Other times we are willing to place our souls up for sale

And when another finds our darkest and our naughty side
There will be nothing left of our modesty or pride

No nothing left to secrecy out in the open our self resides
'cause self is more than surface and more than what's inside

It's the combination of all the things we are and even more
It is how our inner darkest side and surface self collide

And which of those pieces of our souls and minds prevail
In the totality of our being from our outer or inner side

Darkness fills the souls of evil men who prey upon the weak
And put asunder those good of us who's darkness we can hide

END