Couples who are blessed to live a lifetime together find life to become more than difficult to continue living when a beloved spouse is called home by the Lord. The surviving spouse struggles with grief, the loss of a partner and the absence of life as they’ve known it to be for years.
The home they shared now feels empty. The table now only needs to be set for one.
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There’s no more playful bantering over what television show to watch and no one to split a dessert with. There’s no one to hold their hand when sickness arrives.
They’ve spent more than 60 years together in an era where marriages crumble apart easily. But now, one spouse is alone and facing life without love.
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When Bobby Moore’s precious wife Jerry passed away, he was at a complete loss. The two met and married young, then ran a successful pool hall together.
They welcomed five children into the world and were blessed with 12 grandchildren. They also were great-grandparents to 21 kids.
Before her funeral, Bobby walked into the room determined to see his wife before the rest of the family and visitors arrived. He leaned down and pecked her painted lips, then said these words.
“I know you can’t hear me. But, I love you.”
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He couldn’t bear to say goodbye. So he pulled up a chair and sat down beside her.
Bobby stayed there by his wife’s side for almost an hour, rubbing her arms and patting her hands. It seemed as if he was comforting her, but really, he was comforting himself.
When family finally arrived, he asked everyone if they thought she looked good. They all agreed. And cried.
For five more hours, Bobby stayed by his wife’s side. He wouldn’t leave her until he physically could not remain there any longer.
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CREDIT DEB WEST / FLICKR
April Yurcevic Shepperd described the moment as beautiful yet heartbreaking. Bobby’s wife Jerry was still there with him, within reach, but tomorrow would be another story.
“Tomorrow, after she is laid deep in the ground, and he returns to their home, what then? Her things will still be there – the smell of her skin, scribbled grocery lists, her favorite chair, leftovers in the fridge, their bed. Their bed.
How does one sleep alone after 59 years of lying next to your best friend? I can’t imagine ever sleeping again. Today, I witnessed a story of love. And I shall witness it again tomorrow when the story finally ends, and the stage is empty, and the lights go dark.”
Bobby and Jerry were one of a kind and their love will still be strong even as he endures her physical absence. What a sorrowful story and yet a beautiful tribute to true love. Our condolences go out to Bobby and his family.
