The recent love story that has captured the hearts of millions around the globe is the one of a 62-year marriage between Maxine and Don Simpson of Bakersfield, California.
The images of Don and Maxine holding hands, while lying side-by-side in separate hospital beds, has fired imaginations and hearts everywhere.
And while The Simpsons’ genuine devotion and enduring love for each other is wonderful, it is not the striking chord to this moving story. Nor is the amazing account of how they died only four hours apart from one another with Don finally passing at the moment the family removed his beloved Maxine’s body from the room.
The real heart here is that of the family caregivers. In particular, the two granddaughters who initiated the couples reunion were able to see beyond the many significant challenges created by their grandparents’ major health issues and the consequential logistics involved in such a move and the resulting care that would be required.
A family being sensitive to the emotional and physical needs of their elders is not unique, in itself. Countless families jump in and tirelessly perform endless caregiving tasks every day. What shines through the many layers of this tale is that this family recognized what was needed at the end of these two people’s lives. It was to bring them together in a family home setting and to allow them to simply be. No more medical interventions; no self-serving grieving at the bedside. Just time together.
Melissa Sloan, one of the grandchildren, realized that her family was committed to keeping Don and Maxine together until death did them part, and she did just that.
I have seen how people often become confused when witnessing a loved one reach the end of his or her life, let alone both parents simultaneously. It is common at those last stages of the dying process for family members to become overwhelmed with their own emotional needs and lack of ease during these “real” moments of life.
They can give cialis cheap you or your partner an ejaculation at the right time. Drugs like isosorbide mononitrate and isosorbide dinitrate should be avoided as it might make you face certain side effects. viagra wholesale uk And in the day and age of constant stress and distraction we live in, it is totally understood that some of the online companies may take a lump sum from the customers and do not provide any medicine or low quality less working on line viagra. This is why we have provided a list of things they want to viagra from canada check that drugstore now achieve in life.
Understandably, many families are unable to achieve this depth of compassionate aging, because our western society and contemporary culture mostly fears death and dying and rarely permits us to take the time to allow a life to gracefully and gradually repose into its final earthly state.
However, this family discovered a way to honor the elders for whom they cared, while making the most of what precious time everyone could share together.
© Anthony Antoville 2014
Anthony Antoville is COO and geriatric case manager with Champion Advocates LLC in Portland, Oregon. He has been serving the psychosocial needs of seniors since 1991. Anthony is a published author with The Edwin Mellen Press.
