Well, what to say about my wife? Or better yet, where to start?
My wife, Eva, is probably the most selfless person I've ever met. 20 years ago I was on a road to total self destruction and she came into my life and turned it upside down in a very good way. I told her once back then and I stick to it, that she saved my life by becoming a part of my life (we just celebrated our 18th anniversary). She has always put our children, our family's and my needs above her own. She is a loving, compassionate and caring woman with a heart of gold.
My in-laws are in their nineties. My father-in-law is 97 and needs full time care 24/7 as he is unable to do anything for himself. My mother-in-law is 92 and in the early stages of Alzheimers. Eva takes care of both of them 4-days a week to relieve her sister and brother of some of the work so they can work to pay the household bills. The family refused to put them in a nursing home and they are cared for at my sister-in-laws in L.A. Why not a nursing home? Spend some time in one and then ask yourself, who is going to love the elderly and give them the care and attention more than the children they brought into this world? We have always felt it is our duty to our parents not to abandon them to the care of others in a cold instutional environment.
This special woman who has no formal nursing training takes blood pressures, monitors blood glucose levels, administers insulin, breathing treatments, medications, changes feeding tubes, provides physical therapy and tends to a host of other medical and personal needs on a daily basis. To put it in easy terms picture a newborn baby and all the needs they have and put that into a 97 yr old body.
Three years ago, Eva's sister was diagnosed with cancer and without skipping a beat Eva added her sister to her list of patients. Not only taking care of her parents but taking on the additional burden of caring for her sister through the surgeries, recovery, chemotherapy etc...
Then about 18 months ago, we found a lump in Eva's neck which turned out to be malignant cancer.
This wonderful woman whom I love with all my heart, mind, body and soul was now in a battle for her own life. Nevertheless during the time between her own doctor appointments, surgery, radiation treatments etc.. she continued to put others first and tried her best to help where she could. Thankfully God has blessed us with good doctors and her treatment has been successful and she is cancer free now a year later.
Recently a lump has returned in her neck but so far the docs say it is benign. So rather then be deterred, Eva continues to care for her parents and our own family alike, always putting others ahead of herself. I've tried to get her to slow down but she won't have it; she is who she is and to try and change her would be like trying to get a leopard to change from spots to stripes. So, we take life one day at a time knowing that we are given a limited number of days on this earth and we always remember to say "I love you" at every opportunity.
Eva is one special lady and gives meaning to the phrase "love your neighbor".
I love her dearly.
Edited to add: thanks for the contest!
