Can you expect you children to love you?

Can you expect your children to love you?
Respect you? Barbara Henrich was a nurse RN at a hospital for many years. She had a grandma patient who gave her advice on this subject that Barbara never forgot. Read the true story below:
A SPECIAL TOUCH

By Barbara Ann Henrich December 1972

Once upon a Christmas season in the year 1970, a seventy year old Grandmother lay laboring for breath. She had been admitted to the hospital a few days before with a diagnosis of lung cancer and congestive heart failure.

As the nurse made her second patient rounds for the evening she noted that Grandma's condition appeared to have deteriorated in the past couple of hours. The nurse seeing the Grandma's doctor shortly thereafter, reported her condition and an order for medication was given. The doctor said he would visit her later that evening.

During the next few hours Grandma's condition began to deteriorate rapidly with more rapid respirations and pulse, large beads of cold perspiration ran down her face and now an almost continuous stream of brownish saliva was expectorated. At this moment the Grandma stretched forth her hand in a pleading almost desperate manner toward the nurse and asked not to be left alone. Grandma said she would die before the doctor arrived and the nurse had reason to believe she just might.

The nurse put in an urgent call to the doctor, received orders and returned to Grandma's bedside where she sat down and took her hand. The hand was gratefully received and in a half stuporous manner Grandma said "God how much longer must I wait?" She then opened her eyes and looked at the nurse as if to ask the same question of her. To divert Grandma's attention the nurse made comment on what attractive and loving children she seemed to have. Grandma brightened somewhat at this point and asked if the nurse had a family. Then with added strength of deep conviction the Grandma said, "Dear, never expect your children will love you because they are your children; anymore than you will love them for the same reason. Only through years of learning to accept each others worth will this come." With these very weighty thoughts having been expressed the Grandma relaxed a bit and very shortly thereafter the doctor arrived. Seeing for himself her grave condition she was further medicated and swiftly moved into the intensive care unit where a short time afterwards her happy soul took flight from the tired, time-worn body.

The loving son and daughter were waiting outside the unit when the doctor came out to give them the sad news. They embraced each other, unashamed of the hot tears flowing down their faces. As the nurse stood nearby and yet abstract from this part of the drama she felt an empathy such as she had never felt before. She wanted and possibly needed to share with them the words of their loving mother but the words would not come. As the stage became void, except for the nurse, tears began to flow uncontrollably as though a great dam had been blown asunder. After a time the nurse exhausted, wet cheeked and red-eyed got back to the task at hand. Even the almost intolerable patient in room 119 took his last medication without caustic comment and even thanked the nurse and wished her a good night.

Many, many months have come and gone but the nurse has never been quite the same. The final statement of wisdom from that Grandma lives on and one continues to marvel at how varied is God's way; His miracles to perform and His will and truths to make known. As it is with the children's love for Grandma which grew stronger with acceptance, so it is with our love for God that burns more brightly as we learn more about Him and His love for us.

Can we expect children to love Grandma when she is ill and in her sickness son she will be gone forever? Before her happy soul takes flight she would like to feel her kid's love. yes this is about a growing old poem and a grandchild's love.