This Christmas Break taught me an awful lot about what we really need during the holiday season. I learned about how true joy can be found in the simplest of things. I learned about how family means far more than any material objects.
This lesson on the importance of those you love was made clear to me through my family's neighbors back home. Mr. and Mrs. Fleener are extremely close to our family, and I see them as being far more to us than just the couple across the street. They are as much a part of our family as anyone in this world.
The Fleener's love for one another is stronger than you can imagine. Mr. and Mrs. Fleener are 90 and 95, respectively, and their independence is remarkable. They still live on their own in a home they have kept for 50 years. Mr. Fleener will tell you all the stories and corny jokes you can possibly bear to hear, and I would put Mrs. Fleener's knowledge of what's going on in the world of sports up against just about anyone. They complete one another, and their dedication to each other results in them having a closeness that is beautiful to watch. They complement one another; one of them always picks up where the other leaves off.
This closeness was brought into focus during these past three weeks. Mr. Fleener was taken into the hospital when he complained of not feeling well, which is very much out of his character. Mr. Fleener was taken to the hospital to be looked after and was doing well, aside from one thing: his desperate want to be reunited with his beloved wife. A thin phone cord and messages sent via their friends could only offer limited comfort for their longing to be back with one another.
Seeing how much these two love one another was truly something to admire. I know they love one another. I can see it in the way they can sit at the dining room table and simply enjoy one another's company. I see it in the way they spoil their dog, Aimee. I see it in the way they look out for one another. You can't really be married for over half a century without truly being in love, but their love goes beyond time.
When I was thinking about what I wanted Santa Claus (my parents) to get me for Christmas, I thought of the typical things all college students want; I wanted some DVDs, a video game system and gift cards. But when I would go to see Mrs. Fleener across the street, or go to visit Mr. Fleener in the hospital, I was struck by what I saw. These two wanted the simplest of joys: to be with one another. A box of sweets or a bottle of wine are all well and good, but they just wanted to be together again.
Being with family is so underappreciated in today's society, but it is only when we are separated from those we love that we realize what we really want and what we really need. The Fleener's taught me that.
Write to Alex atapcarroll@bsu.edu
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