‘Marriage means reaching across the space, across the pain, and forming a bridge to each other.’: Wife shares what acts of true love look like

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“An act of love in marriage looks like this.

It looks like dropping everything and rushing my husband to the ER when he throws his back out and can’t walk.

It looks like wheeling him around in a wheelchair even though it seems surreal and bizarre and way too soon to be wheeling my big, strong 42-year old husband around.

It looks like telling him to lean on me, and though when I say it, I mean physically, I really mean emotionally, too.

It looks like sitting in a hard chair for 5 hours, waiting and more waiting, for ultimately not much of a resolution.

It looks like helping him to the bathroom, putting on his socks for him, putting pillows behind his head, trying to comfort him or make him laugh, or giving him whatever he needs in the moment.

It means letting him snap at me because I know he’s in pain and he can’t help it right now, and it also means zipping my lips and using as much restraint as I can to not snap back at him.

It means letting him pick the show he wants to watch and watching it with him, even if it bores me to tears, because he really needs me to just be next to him.

It means reaching across the space, across the pain, and forming a bridge to each other.

An act of love in marriage looks like stroking his hand and tickling the little scar on his middle finger, because he loves that and my touch calms him more than any pain killer could.”

wife holds the hand of her husband while he sits on a gurney in the hospital
Courtesy of Melissa Neeb

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Melissa Neeb from Never Empty Nest and Faith In The Mess. You can follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

Read more from Melissa here:

‘I have an empty room. An infinite abyss. A portal leading only to my own memories.’: Mom candidly shares difficult empty nest emotions

‘When your big kid asks you to do something, say yes.’: Mom of teens shares important advice

‘My 14-year-old came into the bedroom with distressed eyes. ‘I was panicking last night and couldn’t sleep.’ This is the third time in 3 weeks.’: Mom stands in the gap for daughter battling anxiety

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