伊丽莎白·库伯-罗斯/ElisabethKubler-Ross
Nooneknowswherelove’sgswillnd.Attis,itturnsuptheostunualspots.TherewasnothgoresurprisgthadesdeduponarehabilitationhospitalaLosAngelessuburb—ahospitalwhereostofthepatientsolongeroveoftheirownaord.
Wheaffheardthenews,soofthenursesbegantocry.Theadistratorwasshock,butfrothenon,HarryMaaraawouldblessitasoneofthegreatestdayshisentirelife.
Nowthetroublewas,howweretheygogtoaketheweddgdress?Heknewhisstaffwouldfdaway,andwhenoneofhisnursesvonteered,Harrywasrelieved.Hewahistobethefestdaythelivesofoofhispatients—JuanaandMichael.
Michaelstrappedhiswheelchairandbreathgthroughhisventitor,appearedatHarry’sofficedoorone.
“Harry,Iwanttogetarried,”Michaelannounced.
“Married?”Harry’southdroppedopen.Howseriowasthis?“Towho?”Harryasked.
“ToJuana,”Michaelsaid.“We’relove.”
Love.Lovehadfounditswaythroughthehospitaldoors,overobodiesthatrefedtoworkfortheirownersaedtheirhearts—despitethefactthattheopatientswereuofeedorcloththeselves,requiredventitorsjttobreathanduldneverwalkaga.Michaelhadspalcuratrophy;Juanahadultiplesclerosis.
Jthowseriothisarriageideawas,becaquiteapparentwhenMichaelpulledouttheergandbeadashehadn’tdoneyears.Infact,thestaffhadneverseenakder,sweeterMichael,whohadbeenoneoftheanHarry’seployeeshadeverworkedwith.
ThereasonforMichael’sangerwasuandable.Forenty-fiveyears,hehadlivedhislifeatadicalterwherehisotherhadpcedhiatageneandvisitedhiseveraltisaweekuntilshedied.Hewasalwaysaraspysortofguy,whocsedouthisnursesroutely,butatleasthefelthehadfailyatthehospital.Thepatientswerehisfriends.
Thereevenhadbeenagirloncewhowentaboutasqueakywheelchairwhohewassurehadeyedhi.Butshehadn’tstayedlongattheter.Andafterspendgorethanhalfhislifethere,nowMichaelwasn’tgogtogettostayeither.
Theterwasclosg,andMichaelwasshippedtoliveattherehabilitationhospital,farfrohisfriendsandworse,farfroBetty.
That’swhenMichaelturoarecse.Hewouldfrohisroo.Heleftitdark.Hisfriendsdroveorethanohourstoseehi.ButMichael’sspiritssaggedsolow,nooneuldreachhi.
Andthen,oneday,hewaslygbedwhenheheardafailiarcreakgsoundgdownthehall.Itsoundedlikethatsa,a,squeakgwheelchairthatgirl,Juana,hadedattheterwhereheedtolive.
Thesqueakgspedathisdoor,andJuanapeeredandaskedhitoeoutdoorswithher.HewastriguedandfrotheoJuanaaga,itwasasthoughshebreathedlifebacktohi.
Hewasstargatthecloudsandbeskiesaga.Hebegantoparticipatethehospital’srecreatiras.HespenthourstalkgwithJuana.Hisroowassunnyandlight.AndthenheaskedJuana,who’dbeenlivgawheelchairsceageenty-four,ifshewouldarryhi.
Juanahadalreadyhadatoughlife.Sheulledoutofschoolbeforefishgthethirdgrade,becaeshelpsedandfellalot.Herother,thkgshewaszy,sppedheraround.Shelivedterrorthatherotherwouldn’twantheranyore,soontheoasionswhenshewaswellenough,sheedhoe“likealittleaid.”
Beforetheageofenty-four,likeMichael,shehadatracheotoyjttobreatheandthatwaswhenshewasofficiallydiagnosedwithultiplesclerosis.Bythetishewasthirty,shehadovedtoahospitalwithround-the-clockcare.
SowhenMichaelaskedherthebigquestion,shedidn’tthksheuldhahepaifhewasteasg.
“Hetoldheloved,andIwassoscared,”shesaid.“Ithoughtheygagawith.Buthetolditwastrue.Hetoldheloved.”
OnValente’sDay,Juanaworeaweddgdressadeofwhitesat,dottedwithpearlbeadsandcutlooseenoughtodrapearoundawheelchairandaventitor.Juanawasrolledtothefrontoftheroo,assistedbyHarry,whoproudlygavethebrideaway.Herfacestreadwithtears.
Michaelworeacrispwhiteshirt,bckJacketandabowtiethatfitlyoverhistracheotoy.Hebeadwithpleasure.
Nursesfilledthedooratientsfilledtheroo.Anoverflowofhospitaleployeesspilledtothehalls.Sobsechoedeveryrneroftheroo.Inthehospital’shistory,noopeople—livgtheirlivesboundtowheelchairs—hadeverarried.
JaYaaguchi,thehospital’srecreationleader,hadpnnedeverythg.Eployeeshaddoheirowobuytheredandwhiteballoons,atchgflowers,andanarchwaydottedwithleaves.Jahadthehospitalchefakeathree-tiered,leon-filledweddgcake.Aarketgnsultanthiredaphotographer.
Jaiatedwithfailybers.Itwasoneoftheosttrygandsatisfygtisofherlifetowatchtheuplegetarried.
Shethoughtofeverythg.
Thefaltouch—thekiss—uldnotbepleted.Jaedawhitesatropetotietheuple’swheelchairstosybolizetheroantit.
Afterthecereony,theisterslippedouttrygtoholdbackhertears.“I’veperfordthoandsofweddgs,butthisistheostwonderfuloneI’vedonesofar,”theistersaid.“Thesepeoplehavepassedthebarriersandshowedpurelove.”
Thateveng,MichaelandJuanarolledtotheirownrooforthefirsttitogether.MichaelandJuanakheyhadovedanypeoplewiththeirlove,andtheyhadbeengiventhegreatestgiftofall.Theyhadthegiftoflove.Andit’sneverknownwhereitwillnd.
爱的羽翼会在何处驻足，无人知晓。偶尔，她可能会出现在最不寻常的地方。令人难以置信的是，有一天，她突然降临在洛杉矶郊区的一家康复医院里，这里的大多数病人都丧失了最基本的身体机能。
医院的工作人员听到这个消息时，一些护士哭了，院长哈利震惊了。但从那时起，哈利把它当作一生中最伟大的日子，为它祈祷。
现在的问题是，怎么给他们缝制结婚礼服呢？虽然有些麻烦，但哈利知道职员们会找到解决的办法。一个护士自告奋勇地揽下了难题，他放心了，希望这会是两位病人——朱安娜和迈克一生中最美好的时光。
一天早晨，迈克出现在哈利的办公室门口，他的身体用带子缚在轮椅上，借助呼吸器呼吸。
“哈利，我想结婚。”迈克说道。
“结婚？”哈利张大了嘴巴，“这可是件大事，和谁呢？”哈利问。
“朱安娜，”迈克说，“我们相爱了。”
爱情，爱情穿越了医院的大门，降临在两个完全瘫痪的人身上，并进驻了他们的心灵——尽管两位病人衣食不能自理，需要呼吸器才能呼吸，而且永远不能行走。迈克得了脊髓肌肉萎缩症，朱安娜身患多发性硬化病。