Today is Bittersweet

Today I stood in my father in laws Hospice Suite and there beyond all his suffering, I saw the most heartbreaking and beautiful thing.
My Mother-in-law is an incredible, gracious, forgiving and nurturing lady. Her whole life she has never pursued monetary riches. She married when she was 17 to the man of her dreams, my husband's father. They had six children, two of which were (surprise!)twins, my husband and his brother. She is the pillar of patience. She was always a stay at home mom, the kind we all dream of being, house clean, cans all the fruits and veggies she could grow, crochets, sewed clothes for her kids and makes EVERYTHING from scratch.......but her husband was her highest priority and she was more than a helpmate. She loved, never resented, served without obligation. .........But today she is standing by his bed looking at a man, that we all love, but is unrecognizable to us. Not to her-she looks at him with a tenderness and love that I sometimes don't think I can fathom. For my kids? sure. But my husband? not always.
She knows her time with him is limited but she doesn't look at him in pity. She doesn't even have to say it, you can see it in her eyes..."this is the love of a lifetime and I'm not ready for it to end". She cries when she thinks about when he will take his last breath.
She inspires me to love her son the way she loves his father.
72 doesn't seem that old when you witness the heartbreaking beauty of a love story over 45 years in the making.