The Intensive Care Unit isn’t usually the place for a family photo. But when my husband Kurt reached out to hold Jack’s hand, I realized it was probably the first time it had ever happened. I can’t be sure of course, but it seems likely given the fact that Jack – Kurt’s biological father – abandoned his wife and two very young sons over 40 years ago. He jetted off to a Caribbean island and never came back.
I’m simplifying the story because the truth is, it's complicated and because it’s Kurt’s to tell. But at the end of the day, at the end of his father’s life, it really doesn’t matter. Not to Kurt.
I sometimes think my husband is secretly a Buddha. He is quick to remind me that he is flawed. That he is an imperfect human. That we all struggle with anger, with judgment, with something. But what I see today is my husband’s remarkable ability to forgive. Kurt told me he has this inexplicable bond with his father Jack, that he wants to be the best son he can be. And when the going got tough, he stepped-up with strength and compassion.
I'm proud of my husband. To me, he is perfect.