senior love

I got a call this morning about the death of one of the residents of Oak Leaf.
Oak leaf is a retirement community which is right beside the church.

I do a worship service there every Wednesday.

This man's girlfriend is a member of the church. She is 94 years old. She is mourning his passing.

She visited him last night and said, "Do you know who I am?"
He said, "You're my girlfriend."

And it is true. I remember visiting her a couple of years ago. At that time they had apartments where they could see each other's windows. And before they would go to bed they would blink their lights three times for I Love You.

And last night she said, "I haven't heard those words for a while"
And he said them to her. "I love you."

And this morning she saw him before breakfast and was able to be with him, holding his hand as he left this world.

It is a beautiful thing to see that love is ageless and that we can still fall in love in our 80's and 90's.
And that means, of course, that grief that goes with the loss of love continues.

I said to her today, "You've been through this before" This - being grief. And yes, with her husband and now with her boyfriend.

And she told me that she is happy that he is with the Lord. And she is going to keep herself busy. Being with other people. She knows that she needs.

She will live without him. And grieve her love.