Death is a sweeping gust of wind that will take us all off of our feet eventually. One hope is that on the way out, we’re treated as beautifully as 92-year-old Howard treats Laura, his wife of 73 years, in this video.
According to the description of this video posted on YouTube, Laura is 93 years old and currently receiving hospice care as she lives out her final days. The song Howard is singing — “You’ll Never Know” by Rosemary Clooney and Harry James — is a tune the pair would routinely serenade each other with, also serving as a comforting melody for Laura when Howard was away serving in World War II. Erin Solari, their granddaughter, posted this video, and described the moment when Howard stood up to sing to his departing wife.
Moments before this video began, when Grandma heard that Grandpa was in the room, she asked if she could hold him. Grandpa cannot stand on his own, but he immediately pulled his wheelchair close to her bed ready to make it happen. My cousin, Serena, who is a physical therapist, helped him to his feet and held him up throughout the entire song.
You might notice above her bed there is a sign that says, “Patient Blind.” That is because she has macular degeneration, so she cannot see much of anything but shadows and light. That doesn’t stop her from looking deep into her love’s eyes. Grandpa, on the other hand, has lost most of his hearing, so you’ll notice us repeating things for him since Grandma is to weak to raise her voice.
Alright, everyone. Now tell the person sitting next to you that you just have allergies.