Words are only symbols, Miss Sally, Part 2

The nurse talks to me in the hall. She says, "I know you say she connects with you, but she never says anything to me. I'll be interested in what happens today. She's especially withdrawn."

I walk into her room. "Hey, Miss Sally, it's Franklin," I say as I walk to the right side of her hospital bed.

I stand directly in her line of sight. "Hey, Miss Sally," I say again. She says nothing in response.

"The last time I was here you had on a beautiful pink blouse. Today you have on a beautiful blue one. It looks nice."

Her hands begin trembling beneath the covers. I think she wants to move the covers a bit to show me her blue blouse. She pulls her left hand from beneath the covers and says, haltingly, "Feel how cold my hands are."

I put my hand in hers. "Oh, my goodness, Miss Sally. Your hand is cold."

She pulls the other one out from beneath the blanket. "And this one," she says.

I hold her other hand, "You're so right. This one is colder than the other one."

"I recognize you," she says, "but I don't know who you are."

"I'm Franklin. The last time I was here you and I recited the twenty-third Psalm together. Do you remember that? The last time I was here you asked me not to forget you. I came back so you'd know I haven't forgotten you."

She then pulls my right hand up to her left cheek and holds it there, tightly, for a long, long time. After several moments she says ever so softly, "I love you so much."

I'm quietly stunned. After a few seconds I respond to her.

"I know you do, Miss Sally. I love  you, too," My eyes well up. She keeps my hand held tightly against her cheek. 

She says several things that I can't make out, but she's looking directly into my eyes. I want to understand, but I simply can't. Perhaps I don't need to understand. Perhaps all I need to do is be here in this moment for her, and for me.

I begin to leave. She holds my hand tighter. I relax and reenter the moment with her.

"I pray every day. I will pray for you," she says.

"Miss Sally, thank you so much. You have no idea how much I need you to pray for me. Thank you. I'll see you again," I say.

"I love you so much," she says as she releases my hands.

Lordy, lordy, lordy there's so much more going on all around us, all the time, than we can even imagine. We need to pay attention.