A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. 
'Your son is here,' she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes
opened.
He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly
saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around
the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the
bed.All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly
lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love
and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move
away and rest awhile.
He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was
oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking
of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging
greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died.
The Marine released the now
lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy, but the
Marine interrupted her.
'Who was that man?' he asked.
The nurse was startled, 'He was your father,' she answered.
'No, he wasn't,' the Marine replied. 'I never saw him before in my
life.'
'Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?'
'I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son, and his
son just wasn't here.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell
whether or not I was his son,
knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.'
The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.
'Your son is here,' she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes
opened.
He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly
saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around
the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the
bed.All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly
lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love
and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move
away and rest awhile.
He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was
oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking
of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging
greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.
The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died.
The Marine released the now
lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.
While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned.
She started to offer words of sympathy, but the
Marine interrupted her.
'Who was that man?' he asked.
The nurse was startled, 'He was your father,' she answered.
'No, he wasn't,' the Marine replied. 'I never saw him before in my
life.'
'Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?'
'I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son, and his
son just wasn't here.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell
whether or not I was his son,
knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.'
The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Discovering 21 Century/
P. O. BOX 1170
New York, NY 10018
212-244-4778
http://www.discovering21century.com/
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