Even in his later years, he always chose to stand close to her.  Grandpa’s love and fidelity for Grandma was evident every time he leaned over to steal a kiss or pull her next to him.  Here is what I shared with family and friends:

Grandpa was smitten with his bride from the moment he saw her until his last breath.  He knew well what Solomon said, when he wrote “rejoice (always) in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18b).  While some use words like “lover”, “honey”, or “sweetie”, he called Grandma his “old stockings”.  How’s that for affection?  We all know what he meant by those words.  In the same way a child clings to their favorite teddy bear for year after year, preferring it over all other teddy bears (even the new ones), that’s how Grandpa loved Grandma.

Last winter, before my family and I returned to our work in Africa, we stopped by to visit with Grandpa and Grandma.  The Alzheimer’s was in full force.  Grandpa was repeatedly calling me “Wade”, who is my brother-in-law.  His answers were short.  He looked quite tired.

But he insisted we take the kids to the Dairy Queen.  After our cones were finished, I started getting the kids ready and when I looked back, I saw something that has stuck in my mind for the past year.  Amidst all the memory loss, there was Grandpa standing with Grandma’s coat held out….for her to slip her arms in.  Some things, you’ve done so many times you never forget them.

Family and friends, where are the men in our days who love their wives like this?  They are becoming fewer and fewer.  Instead, we see cheap, short-lived love running amok all over the place.  But, if we “walk with the wise” and learn from them (Proverbs 13:20) we will not be conformed to this world, but by the mercies of God will be transformed to love our wives with this kind of love.  I want to have this kind of “old stocking” love for my wife.