These pictures capture a magical moment in the lives of my best friends; Pat and JT. Thank you to Sharon for capturing the moment and to Pat for sharing them with me.Did they just get married? No, they have been married for over 40 years. Was this the first dance together after over 40 years? No, they danced often, and beautifully. Are they celebrating an anniversary? No, they are celebrating life, just like they do every day.
JT had a stroke in September and every day they work together on his recovery. Every day they get one baby step closer to the goal. This was their first dance since September.
Want to know the steps to this dance? I watched my friend Pat and I can share them with you. Start with a strong foundation of love, compassion and communication. Don’t keep score. Give selflessly. Next, trust your partner. Know that the dance may not always be smooth but you will always have each other to lean on. Hold tight to each other in times of fear and pain and find strength in your partnership. Celebrate the little things and laugh often. Be a good friend and you will find yourself surrounded by supportive friends. And if he ever does anything irritating, step on his toes and pretend it was on accident (ok, this last step is part of my dancing skills).
I am amazed by their strength, courage, and love. I am honored to call them my friends. Love you guys,
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2 comments:
Kim,
Thank you for posting such a moving tribute to Pat and JT. I will forward your "dance steps" on to our children Heather and her husband Chris and Caleb and his future wife Kristin with the hope that their dance steps will be as strong as Pat and JT's.
Susan
Kim, Pat & JT have real life love story and thank you for sharing it with all of us. I wish we had been there. Judy & Joe
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