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100 Words on Love, by Ariane Beeston
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I sit on the edge of my bed, in the psychiatric ward. My hand is lost inside my husband’s.
A psychiatrist asks questions with practiced kindness. I rattle off answers I know by heart. Sleep, appetite, mood, meds.
And then there’s a test. Part of admission. And I don’t know the answers. I can’t do the sums. Can’t draw the object. Can’t spell the word. My brain is mud.
My husband’s poker face slips. I can hear his concern in the silence. He squeezes my hand gently as I swat away tears. I’ve never felt more broken.
Or more loved.
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There’s so much more in this series: Love of baseball, of fathers, of children, of music and more. Read on.
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Photo: Flickr/Laura Lewis
Jed, appears that my story somewhat mirrors yours. Been on both sides. Wife had cancer as well where I had a quintuple bypass. That which doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. We’ve been married for 38 years.
Ariane, beautifully and movingly written. So much good writing here on Good Men. I’m proud to be a reader and writer. I’ve been on both sides of the hand holding. My wife went through a time of breast cancer. I had a life-threatening adrenal tumor. I write a lot about the joys of a long-term marriage. But to get there we have to hang in there through the pain. In some ways its easier to deal with the “big” stuff. Harder to deal with the day to day stresses, boredom, frustrations, and disappointments. Carlin and I have been together 33… Read more »
Ariane,
Beautiful. Never lived anything in such loving partnership, yet, when it comes to what you have shared succinctly. Touching… Thank you.
Eric