Inspiration On 03/15/10

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the
patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he
dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the
oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped
his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones,
squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside
the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in
the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and
offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the
nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the
Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the
hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of
the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries
and moans of the other patients.   Now and then she heard
him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing,
only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released
the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell
thenurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. 
Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy,
but the Marine interrupted her.   "Who was that man?" he asked. 

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he
needed his son, and his son wasn't here. When I realized that he
was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how
much he needed me, I stayed." I came here tonight to find a Mr.
William Grey. His son was killed in Iraq, and I was sent to inform
him. What was this gentleman's name?"

The nurse, with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey."

The next time someone needs you .... just be there.   Stay.

 -- Author Unknown