I could see the distress in
Her eyes and hear the
Anxiety in her voice.
She is in poor health, but
Her greatest concern is for
Her husband whose symptoms
Are getting worse.
He gets angry, confused.
She's no longer able to
Reason with him.
"Don't even try," I advised her.
"It's a losing battle.
If at all possible, agree with
Everything he says.
If he sees imaginary people,
Accept their presence too.
Remember how he used to be
So you know the problem
Isn't you."
As I felt her heartache and tried to
Absorb her anguish, I realized again
That the pain Jack and I shared
Wasn't wasted.