“It’s often the young and the beautiful who embody love stories, whether on the big screen, in the pages of a romance novel, or online, where we are all fascinated by the latest celebrity romances.
But an elderly couple has become a source of inspiration for a woman to showcase the true meaning of love and romance.”
Emily Hime shared the last months of her grandmother’s life, a heartbreaking period but also a time when she felt “blessed to witness something beautiful” – the unconditional love between her grandparents.
Emily told Love What Matters that her family had always teased her grandfather, telling him he would never survive without her grandmother because she did everything for him. However, in the last months of his life, the roles were reversed.
“Through all of this, I realized that the most romantic love story is not Romeo and Juliet… It’s grandma and grandpa growing old together.”
“It’s Grandpa who stayed by Grandma’s side during the most challenging period of her life. He’s the one teaching her how to prepare meals, do laundry, and cook for her while she underwent six rounds of chemotherapy.”
“It’s Grandpa who held her hand, attended every doctor’s appointment, and didn’t leave the house unless someone took his place because he didn’t want her to sit alone, even for a few minutes.”
Emily said that hospital staff constantly commented on his devotion to her and how everyone loved seeing them together.
“He remained by his wife’s side every day while she was in the hospital and then during palliative care. He held her hand whenever he could and kissed her on the forehead, cherishing every moment they had left together,” Emily recalled.
The caring granddaughter noticed that her grandfather’s eyes would fill with tears whenever he thought his wife might be uncomfortable or in pain.
Her grandmother also suffered from several strokes, and her body weakened, but he told her every day how beautiful she was.
“‘Goodnight, my darling,'”
“They had that kind of eternal love, the love we all aspire to. They would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary next month, and yet, 60 years still wouldn’t have been enough,” wrote Emily.
“‘Oh, you are so precious, goodnight, my darling,’ were the last words he spoke to her.”
Emily said that her grandparents met at a cycling club in England when they were 20 years old, but during that time, they participated in “the most important race together.”
“They won the greatest race of all, a life filled with love together. And what a blessing it has been to witness this beautiful love story and capture one of their precious final moments together.”
“I am so glad Emily shared this beautiful story that truly shows us the meaning of love. Thank you for sharing,” as mentioned in the post by Chatham-Kent Hospice on Valentine’s Day.
