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nce1

Unit1Love

AKissforKate

EveryafternoonwhenIcameondutyastheeveningnurse,Iwouldwalkthehallsofthenursinghome,pausingateachdoortochatandobserve.Often,KateandChris,theirbigscrapbooksintheirlaps,wouldbereminiscingoverthephotos.Proudly,Kateshowedmepicturesofbygoneyears:

Chris—tall,blond,handsome;Katepretty,dark-haired,laughing.Twoyoungloverssmilingthroughthepassingseasons.Howlovelytheylookednow,sittingthere,thelightshiningontheirwhiteheads,theirtime-wrinkledfacessmilingatthememoriesoftheyears,caughtandheldforeverinthescrapbooks.

Howlittletheyoungknowofloving,I'dthink.Howfoolishtothinktheyhaveamonopolyonsuchapreciouscommodity.Theoldknowwhatlovingtrulymeans;theyoungcanonlyguess.

KateandChriswerealwaystogether—inthediningroom,thelounge,strollingaroundthebigporchesandlawns,alwaysholdinghands.Aswestaffmembersateoureveningmeal,sometimesKateandChriswouldwalkslowlybythedining-roomdoors.Thenconversationwouldturntoadiscussionofthecouple'sloveanddevotion,andwhatwouldhappenwhenoneofthemdied.WeknewChriswasthestrongone,andKatewasdependentuponhim.

HowwouldKatefunctionifChrisweretodiefirst?

Weoftenwondered.

Bedtimefollowedaritual.WhenIbroughttheeveningmedication,Katewouldbesittinginherchair,innightgownandslippers,awaitingmyarrival.UnderthewatchfuleyesofChrisandmyself,Katewouldtakeherpill,thencarefullyChriswouldhelpherfromthechairtothebedandtuckthecoversinaroundherfrailbody.

Observingthisactoflove,Iwouldthinkforthethousandthtime,goodheavens,whydon'tnursinghomeshavedoublebedsformarriedcouples?

Alltheirlivestheyhaveslepttogether,butinanursinghome,they'reexpectedtosleepinsinglebeds.Overnightthey'redeprivedofacomfortofalifetime.

Howveryfoolishsuchpoliciesare,IwouldthinkasIwatchedChrisreachupandturnoffthelightaboveKate'sbed.Thentenderlyhewouldbend,andtheywouldkissgently.Chriswouldpathercheek,andbothwouldsmile.Hewouldpullupthesiderailonherbed,andonlythenwouldheturnandaccepthisownmedication.AsIwalkedintothehall,IcouldhearChrissay,"Goodnight,Kate,"andherreturningvoice,"Good-night,Chris,"whilethespaceofanentireroomseparatedtheirtwobeds.

IhadbeenoffdutytwodaysandwhenIreturned,thefirstnewsIheardwas,"Chrisdiedyesterdaymorning."

"How?

"

"Aheartattack.Ithappenedquickly."

"How'sKate?

"

"Bad."

IwentintoKate'sroom.Shesatinherchair,motionless,handsinherlap,staring.Takingherhandsinmine,Isaid,"Kate,it'sPhyllis."

Hereyesnevershifted;sheonlystared.Iplacedmyhandunderherchinandslowlyturnedherheadsoshehadtolookatme.

"Kate,IjustfoundoutaboutChris.I'msosorry.

Attheword"Chris",hereyescamebacktolife.Shelookedatme,puzzled,asthoughwonderinghowIhadsuddenlyappeared."Kate,it'sme,Phyllis.I'msosorryaboutChris."

Recognitionandsadnessfloodedherface.Tearswelledupandsliddownhercheeks."Chrisisgone,"shewhispered.

"Iknow,"Isaid."Iknow."

WepamperedKateforawhile,lettinghereatinherroom,surroundingherwithspecialattention.Thengraduallythestaffworkedherbackintotheoldschedule.Often,asIwentpastherroom,IwouldobserveKatesittinginherchair,scrapbooksonherlap,gazingsadlyatpicturesofChris.

BedtimewastheworstpartofthedayforKate.AlthoughshewasallowedtomovefromherbedtoChris'sbed,andalthoughthestaffchattedandlaughedwithherastheytuckedherinforthenight,stillKateremainedsilentandsadlywithdrawn.Passingherroomanhouraftershehadbeentuckedin,I'dfindherwideawake,staringattheceiling.

Theweekspassed,andbedtimewasn'tanybetter.Sheseemedsorestless,soinsecure.Why?

Iwondered.Whythistimeofdaymorethantheotherhours?

ThenonenightasIwalkedintoherroom,onlytofindthesamewide-awakeKate,Isaidimpulsively,"Kate,coulditbeyoumissyourgood-nightkiss?

"Bendingdown,Ikissedherwrinkledcheek.

ItwasasthoughIhadopenedthefloodgates.Tearsrandownherface;herhandsgrippedmine."Chrisalwayskissedmegood-night,"shecried.

"Iknow,"Iwhispered.

"Imisshimso,allthoseyearshekissedmegood-night."ShepausedwhileIwipedthetears."Ijustcan'tseemtogotosleepwithouthiskiss."

Shelookedupatme,hereyesfulloftears."Oh,thankyouforgivingmeakiss."

Asmallsmileturnedupthecornersofhermouth."Youknow,"shesaidconfidentially,"Chrisusedtosingmeasong.

"Hedid?

"

"Yes,"—herwhiteheadnodded—"andIliehereatnightandthinkaboutit."

"Howdiditgo?

"

Katesmiled,heldmyhandandclearedherthroat.Thenhervoice,smallwithagebutstillmelodious,liftedsoftlyinsong:

Sokissme,mysweet,andsoletuspart.

AndwhenIgrowtoooldtodream,

Thatkisswillliveinmyheart.

BenefitsfromPets

Recently,anumberofUSnewspaperscarriedaverysmallarticleentitled"ThingsYouCanLearnfromYourDog".Thearticlelistedseventhingsdoneregularlybypetdogswhichcouldbehelpfultopetownersiftheythemselvesdidthem.Thesethingsare:

1）Whenyourlovedonecomeshome,runtogreethim.2）Eatwithpleasure.3）Whenit'shot,drinklotsofwater.4）Takenaps.5）Don'tbite,justgrowl.6）Whenyouwantsomethingbadly,digforit.7）Giveunconditionallove.

Therearemanypeoplewhowouldliketoinsistthatonlyhumanbeingsarecapableoffeelingtheemotionoflove.However,therearemanymorepeople,usuallypetowners,whofeelthattheynotonlylovetheirpets,butthattheirpetslovetheminreturn.Thisisonlyone,butaveryimportant,benefitofowningapet.Allofuswanttoenjoygoodhealth.Thousandsofarticlesarewritteninnewspapersandmagazinesgivingadviceofalltypesastowhatpeopleshouldbedoingiftheywishtoimprovetheirchancesofhavinggoodhealth.Mostoftenthisadviceincludessuggestionsthatweshouldeatright,exercise,takevitaminsandgetapet.Whygetapet?

Becausemoreandmorestudiesareshowingthatpeoplewhohavepetsarehealthier,bothphysicallyandmentally,thanthosewhodon't.RightnowmorethanhalfofthehouseholdsintheUnitedStateshaveacompanionanimal.Thatincludes51milliondogs,56millioncats,45millionbirds,andothersmallanimals.

Besidestheobviousthings,likebeingcute,interestingtowatch,andalotoffun,petsdomoreforusthanweoftenrealize.Ifyounowhaveorhaveeverhadapet,youknowhowwonderfulitistohavesomeonethereforyou,nomatterhowyoulook,howyouaredressed,orwhatyouaredoing.Petsloveyouunconditionallyanddon'trequirebrilliantconversation.Asimple"goodboy"andapatontheheadorscratchunderthechinisenoughforthem.Theywillfindwaystoletyouknowtheirappreciationofyourpraise,whetheritisbywaggingtheirtails,rubbingagainstyou,purring,orsimplylookingatyouwithadoringeyes.

Peoplewhoownpetsoftenremarkonwhatgoodcompanytheyareandwhatfuntheyhavetogether.Petexpertsandresearchersidentifymanyotheradditionalbenefitsthatcomewithpetownershiporinteraction.Inadditiontothosementionedthusfar,petseasestressandanxiety,aidrelaxation,provideasenseofsecurity,andareagreatdiversionfromtroubles.Onemedicalstudyshowedthatpeople'sbloodpressurewouldfallwhentheystrokedtheirpets.

PetsareincreasinglybeingusedintherapyfortheelderlyandthosewhohaveAlzheimer'sdiseaseorphysicaldisabilities.OneladyinTucson,Arizona,sharesherlovelylittledogwithmanyelderlynursinghomeresidents.Shetakesherdogthereatleastonceortwiceaweekandallowstheelderlypeopletoholdandpatherlittledog.Theyeagerlyawaititsarrivalandalwaysaskwhensheandherdogwillbeback.Sheisjustoneofhundredsofpeoplewhosharetheirpetswiththeoldandlonely.Andthen,ofcourse,therearecountlessstoriesofdogstrainedtoaidblind,deaf,orwheel-chairboundindividuals,oftenallowingthemtoliveindependentlywhenotherwisethiswouldnotbepossible.Thelovebetweenthesepeopleandtheirfour-footedfriendsistouching.Evenbrushingorpattingadogisgreatphysicaltherapy,andweallknowthebenefitsofwalking,whichissomethingadogneedstoo.

JamesHerriot,acountryveterinarianinEngland,hasbeenaverypopularwriterintheEnglish-speakingworld.Hehaswrittenanumberofbooksandstoriesaboutpetownersandtheirpets.Manyofhisstoriestellofthelovebetweenthemaswellasthebenefitsthatownersandpetsderivefromeachother.Partofhisgreatpopularityasawritercomesfromthefactthatpeoplewholovepetsliketoreadaboutandidentifywithotherpetlovers.

AGoodHearttoLeanOn

MorethanIrealized,Dadhashelpedmekeepmybalance.

WhenIwasgrowingup,Iwasembarrassedtobeseenwithmyfather.Hewasseverelycrippledandveryshort,andwhenwewouldwalktogether,hishandonmyarmforbalance,peoplewouldstare.Iwouldbeashamedoftheunwantedattention.Ifheevernoticedorwasbothered,heneverleton.

Itwasdifficulttocoordinateoursteps—hishalting,mineimpatient—andbecauseofthat,wedidn'tsaymuchaswewentalong.Butaswestartedout,healwayssaid,"Yousetthepace.Iwilltrytoadjusttoyou.

Ourusualwalkwastoorfromthesubway,whichwashowhegottowork.Hewenttoworksick,anddespitenastyweather.Healmostnevermissedaday,andwouldmakeittotheofficeevenifotherscouldnot.Itwasamatterofprideforhi