True love

Last Sunday Jared and I went to my home ward in honor of Neal's recent birthday and ordination. One of the talks particularly impressed me; it was given by one of my former young women's advisors. She told about how her mother is now suffering from Alzheimer's and how her father has chosen to care for her at home. She said that her mother no longer is lucid enough to care about her appearance, but her dad knows how much those things used to mean to her, and knows she would be embarrassed to be seen in public looking unkempt. So ever day he styles her hair. He puts her makeup on. He dresses her in nice clothes and jewelry. He even paints her fingernails.

I think that is true love; serving a loved one without taking thought for recognition or reciprocation. It did get me thinking, though. If I became unable to take care of myself, how might Jared best carry out my wishes? It's a little worrisome; if he stuck with my own standard of personal care, he'd dress me in my most comfy jeans and Target T-shirts, and maybe a pair of tennis shoes. He'd put my hair in a ponytail and put on a touch of concealer here and there to cover any unsightly blemishes. When we were "going out", he'd put on some mascara and a little bronzer, and maybe a spray of perfume on special occasions.

Frankly, I would be a pretty low-maintenance patient from the personal appearance standpoint. I think if I were unable to care for myself, my true love would do things like make sure I was in a prone position when watching TV, give me extra blankets at night, even in the summer, to make sure I slept comfortably, and bring me the occasional peanut butter shake. In Jared's case, I'd be sure to put on his favorite flip-flops, keep him a little stubbly at all times, and maybe get him a puppy for companionship. What would your true love do for you?