Abundant Love Shared

Today I’m recalling the train journey on Wednesday. The train from Wexford to Dublin ran along the River Slaney for a while, very picturesque.

My photos through the window don’t do it justice.

More barley fields. I was taking a photo of one and a ruin showed up:

The most beautiful part of the journey were the two women in wheelchairs, one facing me, the other across the aisle. I think they had advanced ALS. Their arms and legs were at odd angles to their bodies, their mouths were open, and their speech was difficult. Each had a woman attending to them--helping them eat and drink, and get on and off the train. What blew me away was the love between them. The caregivers constantly joked with their charges and showed such love and tenderness in how they cared for them. The women in the wheelchairs looked at the caregivers with something approaching adoration. Just complete love. I felt very privileged to listen to the caregivers' chat and watch their devotion to these two women.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, for many years I went to a gestalt therapist who had ALS. She was given less than 2 years to live when first diagnosed, but lived for something like 30 more years. She died recently. She made such a big difference in the lives of so many people, it is very sad to think of the world without her. She was an extraordinary woman. I feel so blessed to have known her. And blessed to have been in a train carriage filled with the kind of unconditional love and humour she brought into my life.
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