Devotion

always2late · 11-22-2011, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princessbelle

Wow this is an great thread and these stories have definitely touched me as i know they have others.

I have one that stands out for me and i would like to share.

In Hospice, i see a lot of devotion. When one partner passes, the pain the other one goes through sometimes it is really hard to take and i have broken down and cried for them more times than i could tell you.

But, this one couple will always be, to me, a beacon for devotion and love. She had cancer. They had been married for over 60 years. She had been so very sick for over a year and he never left her side. He was up with her day and night for her every need. He called me in the middle of the night one night and said he thought it was getting close. When i got there, the air was sweet. He had candles lit and there was soft music playing. She was barely breathing and he held her hands and kissed her softly over and over and told her it was ok for her to let go.

She did as he said, and passed. I had walked out of the room to call the funeral home and when i came back into the room he was getting into the bed with her. I asked him if he was ok, it startled me a little bit.

He said "I've slept with this beautiful woman every night for over 60 years, tonight is no exception. I will hold her in our bed until they come and take her away from me".

To this day, when i think about them, the first thing i think of is...how lucky they were to have a love like that. It was beyond beautiful. He definitely had true devotion to that love and it was just breathtaking.

I think we are lucky in our profession Belle...we see people at their worst, but we also see the best, the incredible acts of kindness, the love and devotion that some people share. There are days when I count myself as very lucky to have seen some of the things that I have seen.

princessbelle · 11-22-2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by always2late

I think we are lucky in our profession Belle...we see people at their worst, but we also see the best, the incredible acts of kindness, the love and devotion that some people share. There are days when I count myself as very lucky to have seen some of the things that I have seen.

This is so, so true. We see the devotion of families and it is just amazing and what a gift in life to be able to share that with them. When we find families that are truly devoted, it is such a blessing and makes it all worth while.

*Hugs to you sista

Dude · 11-22-2011, 01:59 PM

part 2 of
My friend ,Mark.
He looked very similiar to a cross between Patrick Swayze and Kurt Russell.
He easily could have been a conceited jerk but he wasn't. Instead, he was always trying to do things for others. He was always very nurturing and supportive.
I was blessed to not have to share him much with anyone as we were both usually single. He cooked us dinner nearly every night and I did the dishes. He would play our favorite songs and tidy up the rest of the house while I did them. We would then have dessert with our coffee and laugh (and on occasion ,cry) for hours. I always joked with him about being my 1st wife.

If I was going through something he would always bake me something to cheer me up and suggest we go to the river or beach. He was very calming and easy to be around.
He stood about 6"3" and could pass for a very manly man but he could pull out his swish when you least expected it.
He amused himself by using this shock factor effect on random people he would come across in his travels.

He had one former partner who he called the love of his life.
I got to witness his last moment of clarity with this man who showed
up to say his good bye's and knew he would finally now be able to let go.
I barely slept that night and shot straight up out of the bed at 5:00.
At 5:05, I got the call that he was gone.
I was in my late 20's. Some people never get to experience a friendship
like that and I feel enormously blessed.
His devotion for me ,made mine for him ,easy.

Apocalipstic · 11-22-2011, 02:24 PM

I used to dream of devotion and love to last through the ages.

SoNotHer · 11-22-2011, 03:39 PM

Wow. What a gorgeous line, A. It belongs in a song.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apocalipstic

I used to dream of devotion and love to last through the ages.

Sachita · 11-22-2011, 03:43 PM

I crave devotion the way a heroin addict craves their next fix. Not just unconditional love... I am fortunate enough to have this many times in this life time, but a deep relinquishing of mind, body and soul. When a human offers you the very depths of their being expecting nothing in return but your approval and a smile on your face. My devotion addiction has made me the woman I am today and inspired me to leave no stone upturn in my pursuit of it. The years I sacrificed devotion, settling for less, I was empty and emotionally isolated.

Love without deep devotion, the existence to please me, is just not an option for me any more. If one isn't fully and completely devoted to me then I would rather be a lone and do without.

SoNotHer · 11-22-2011, 04:01 PM

Just incredible... Thank you for this, Sachita.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sachita

I crave devotion the way a heroin addict craves their next fix. Not just unconditional love... I am fortunate enough to have this many times in this life time, but a deep relinquishing of mind, body and soul. When a human offers you the very depths of their being expecting nothing in return but your approval and a smile on your face. My devotion addiction has made me the woman I am today and inspired me to leave no stone upturn in my pursuit of it. The years I sacrificed devotion, settling for less, I was empty and emotionally isolated.

Love without deep devotion, the existence to please me, is just not an option for me any more. If one isn't fully and completely devoted to me then I would rather be a lone and do without.

Leigh · 11-22-2011, 04:05 PM

These stories are just so beautiful

genghisfawn · 04-16-2012, 06:17 PM

This is going to be a bit difficult for me, because I feel as though I'm being a little whiny as well as a little sappy, but here goes...

I want to have a marriage someday. Not the wedding - people who overplan their wedding and demand perfection and go screaming Bridezilla drive me nuts. I want the kind of marriage both sets of my grandparents had. Both of those couples were thoroughly devoted to one another.

My Grandma and Grandpa loved hard and well. He fell in love with her intelligence, beauty and fortitude, and she mistrusted him because polio had left her with a short leg and infertility. He won her over, they adopted my Mom and uncle, they had the farm and the radio shop... they were happy. She died of Alzheimer's when I was 18, and a few years later we asked Grandpa, "Will you ever date again?" He said, "Nope. I'm married."

I wouldn't want my partner to live alone because of me, but I find his staunch devotion to not only my Grandma, but their marriage and what it meant to him, so very telling.

My Baba and Gido moved off their respective immigrant farms and lived in town so he could work for the railway. They built their house at the same time the Ukrainian community were building their church, and Baba asked Gido to plant a willow tree in the front yard so she'd have something to beat the kids with.

When my Gido died suddenly of a stroke (a week after my Grandma died,) my Baba fell apart. They were symbiotic - in their elder years they'd been part of the Legion together, the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League, St John's Ambulance, numerous non-profits for special needs, etc. They lived their retirement years in mutual passion for service.

That's the kind of devotion I want. I want to be devoted to someone and support their desires and ideals for a better world and for a better love. I want the same from them. I don't want the wedding to be the best night of my life - I want my life to be the best possible and so much sweeter than I'd ever expected because someone with whom I have a mutual devotion is in it.

11-22-2011, 02:24 PM	#4
Apocalipstic Pink Confection How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She, Her, Ma'am Relationship Status: Dating Myself Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nashville Posts: 4,266 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 17,195 Thanked 11,362 Times in 2,838 Posts Rep Power: 21474856	I used to dream of devotion and love to last through the ages. __________________

11-22-2011, 03:43 PM	#6
Sachita Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Alpha Femme Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Completely in love Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 3,225 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,564 Thanked 8,992 Times in 2,247 Posts Rep Power: 21474855	I crave devotion the way a heroin addict craves their next fix. Not just unconditional love... I am fortunate enough to have this many times in this life time, but a deep relinquishing of mind, body and soul. When a human offers you the very depths of their being expecting nothing in return but your approval and a smile on your face. My devotion addiction has made me the woman I am today and inspired me to leave no stone upturn in my pursuit of it. The years I sacrificed devotion, settling for less, I was empty and emotionally isolated. Love without deep devotion, the existence to please me, is just not an option for me any more. If one isn't fully and completely devoted to me then I would rather be a lone and do without. __________________ You either like me or you don't. It took me Twenty-something years to learn how to love myself, I don't have that kinda time to convince somebody else. ~ Daniel Franzese

11-22-2011, 04:05 PM	#8
Leigh Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She, Her, etc Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 7,767 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,029 Thanked 13,024 Times in 4,784 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	These stories are just so beautiful __________________ "When you fall off the wagon ... clutch the sides of it until you get a better grip!"

11-22-2011, 01:59 PM	#3
Dude Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: Perusing Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: exit 5 with an exit 21 goal Posts: 1,725 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 15,351 Thanked 10,605 Times in 1,477 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	part 2 of My friend ,Mark. He looked very similiar to a cross between Patrick Swayze and Kurt Russell. He easily could have been a conceited jerk but he wasn't. Instead, he was always trying to do things for others. He was always very nurturing and supportive. I was blessed to not have to share him much with anyone as we were both usually single. He cooked us dinner nearly every night and I did the dishes. He would play our favorite songs and tidy up the rest of the house while I did them. We would then have dessert with our coffee and laugh (and on occasion ,cry) for hours. I always joked with him about being my 1st wife. If I was going through something he would always bake me something to cheer me up and suggest we go to the river or beach. He was very calming and easy to be around. He stood about 6"3" and could pass for a very manly man but he could pull out his swish when you least expected it. He amused himself by using this shock factor effect on random people he would come across in his travels. He had one former partner who he called the love of his life. I got to witness his last moment of clarity with this man who showed up to say his good bye's and knew he would finally now be able to let go. I barely slept that night and shot straight up out of the bed at 5:00. At 5:05, I got the call that he was gone. I was in my late 20's. Some people never get to experience a friendship like that and I feel enormously blessed. His devotion for me ,made mine for him ,easy.

04-16-2012, 06:17 PM	#9
genghisfawn Member How Do You Identify?: Femme/Gentlewoman Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Relationship Status: Happily married 05/17/14 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 561 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,056 Thanked 2,158 Times in 403 Posts Rep Power: 21474850	This is going to be a bit difficult for me, because I feel as though I'm being a little whiny as well as a little sappy, but here goes... I want to have a marriage someday. Not the wedding - people who overplan their wedding and demand perfection and go screaming Bridezilla drive me nuts. I want the kind of marriage both sets of my grandparents had. Both of those couples were thoroughly devoted to one another. My Grandma and Grandpa loved hard and well. He fell in love with her intelligence, beauty and fortitude, and she mistrusted him because polio had left her with a short leg and infertility. He won her over, they adopted my Mom and uncle, they had the farm and the radio shop... they were happy. She died of Alzheimer's when I was 18, and a few years later we asked Grandpa, "Will you ever date again?" He said, "Nope. I'm married." I wouldn't want my partner to live alone because of me, but I find his staunch devotion to not only my Grandma, but their marriage and what it meant to him, so very telling. My Baba and Gido moved off their respective immigrant farms and lived in town so he could work for the railway. They built their house at the same time the Ukrainian community were building their church, and Baba asked Gido to plant a willow tree in the front yard so she'd have something to beat the kids with. When my Gido died suddenly of a stroke (a week after my Grandma died,) my Baba fell apart. They were symbiotic - in their elder years they'd been part of the Legion together, the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League, St John's Ambulance, numerous non-profits for special needs, etc. They lived their retirement years in mutual passion for service. That's the kind of devotion I want. I want to be devoted to someone and support their desires and ideals for a better world and for a better love. I want the same from them. I don't want the wedding to be the best night of my life - I want my life to be the best possible and so much sweeter than I'd ever expected because someone with whom I have a mutual devotion is in it.