Ilona Cole, Story 58

It Does not Matter What the Age or the Gender

It was during the year 2016 when my dear beloved husband Hal had Parkinson disease in the advanced stage. He fell while in the hospital, broke his hip, and had to have surgery for a hip replacement. After some days in the hospital, he then had to enter a rehabilitation place. His stay there was rather long since he had extreme difficulty walking not only because of the hip replacement but also due to his Parkinson disease. Walking was painful for him, and he was very weak. I spent my days with my Hal and some nights, when it was difficult for him to relax and go to sleep, and he wanted me to stay. During those very difficult weeks, my Hal was often talking about a bear, a big brown bear he was sure he had and questioning where the bear was?

I thought first that my Hal was thinking of my own Steiff Bear that he purchased for me as a surprise the first Christmas I was here, replacing mine I had lost during a move. My darling Hal remembered my story I was telling him in Germany. But when I mentioned the Steiff bear at home to my sweetheart, he assured me that HE had a big brown bear and why is he not here with him? I thought right then that I would find and purchase a big brown bear for my Hal and set him on the hospital bed at home, so the bear could greet my Hal when he finally gets to go home, and if my Hal would have to stay much longer, I would bring him there to the Mission Rehab to join him.

It was lunchtime, and my Hal and I were sitting by a table in the dining room at the rehabilitation place waiting for Hal