Old folks renewal ceremony testifies to marital love
Tang Po-sheng and Tang Liang Jui-ying, both 90, are the protagonists of a famed love story at the rest home where they reside. Some years back, Tang Po-sheng suffered a stroke that left the left side of his body paralyzed. The couple have been married for 63 years and are inseparable, going everywhere from errands to doctors’ appointments together.
In October of last year, Mrs. Tang fell from her bed, and found that the left side of her body was no longer moving fluidly. She too was diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. Because she requires professional care, she reluctantly left the building where she lived with her husband and moved into another nursing center.
Chang Li-ching, a social worker, says that although the two still reside in the same complex, they live in different buildings, and at first Mrs. Tang was constantly concerned about “who will care for Mr. Tang?” Because they must use wheelchairs to move about and see each other, they must rely on assistance from others, so each time they meet, the two are usually tearful for a time, which can make the aides somewhat uncomfortable. Before their 63rd anniversary, Mr. Tang secretly notified the social workers in hopes that they could arrange a photograph to commemorate the occasion. The nursing center went farther, planning a cross-millennial renewal of vows to help the pair reclaim the feeling they enjoyed when they married at age 28.
On the day of their anniversary, Mr. Tang was dressed in a suit and tie, while his wife went out early to have her hair done, selecting a pretty scarf and applying lipstick. Six male volunteers serving alternative service took care of the duties usually accomplished by groomsmen and bridesmaids, pushing the pair in their wheelchairs down the hallway to meet. As their chairs approached each other, the two elderly people began to cry with joy. Mr. Tang took out the nine roses he had purchased and presented them to his bride, saying “I have loved you all my life,” then giving her a romantic kiss as the eyes of onlookers filled with tears at the sight.
Mr. Tang says, “If my wife is okay, I’m good, too.” Today, he says, “Life has only started getting difficult since my bride is no longer by my side to take care of me.” He wants his wife to be in the best place for her to get well, though, and has made arrangements to go to Hong Kong this year to see their daughter and grandchildren.
(The Chinese version of this story was published on February 7, 2010.)
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