I met my husband when we were 17, just one week before I was struck by a car, sustaining horrible injuries. He visited me in the hospital without fail every other day for three weeks, until the awful day when the doctors decided that amputating my right leg was the only option to save my life. The night of my surgery, I worried he would not wish to see me anymore. My big brother assured me that if he couldn’t deal with it, someday a really great guy would come into my life.
Two days later, he visited me and said “I told my mother I couldn’t handle this and she said I had to come and tell you that in person.” He proceeded to sit down and talk with me for an hour. When he got up to leave, I said “Well, thank you for coming. I guess this is goodbye.” He replied, “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep coming back. I thought I was only attracted to your outer beauty and looks, but I realize I really want to get to know what is inside you.” I knew then that standing before me was the best friend and greatest gift I would ever receive in my life.
He has stood by me through many ups and downs over our 30-year marriage. We cried through infertility and miscarriages, and rejoiced when our son and daughter were born.
He held my hand through multiple surgeries to repair the damage from the accident 35 years ago. I still live with the pain, but that burden is eased by the love and support I receive every day. My husband showed me he was a real man when he was only 17, and has continued to be one ever since.
Jean
My Husband Was A “Real Man” at 17
The Dr. Laura Call of the Day Podcast
