Capturing a Culture of Care

By: cultureofcare

May 04 2011

Category: Stories

1 Comment

We always find Peter around the Court, in the living room or on the sofas in the entrance, readily available for some company with a smile or a nice conversation. He tells us his and his wife’s love story, how they met at a dance in Berlin: “When I met my wife, we were at a dance in Berlin. I was reading the paper on the side when a woman came up to me and said, ‘my friend likes your hands, may she dance with you?’ I put down the newspaper and accepted to dance with her. After, we started to go out often and we fell in love. My wife Morena was very stylish, she was very beautiful. We got engaged and married when we got to England. She fell in love with my hands before she even saw my face.”

And now their hands, their touch, is their way of communication. Morena has been afflicted with dementia for nine years, and it is progressing continuously, she can no longer speak. Peter invites us to visit with his wife, who always stays in the room with him. He talks to her, touches her and takes her hands in his. She answers him by clasping his hand and looking at him. It is amazing to see the kind of care he gives his beloved Morena, how they can communicate with a touch. It was a very emotional experience and I’m really grateful to Peter for sharing these moments with me. The love and care this couple shows to each other is a great example to anyone that meets them.

Peter and Morena have been married for seventy-two years and have proudly received a commendation from the Queen for the length of their marriage. He shows it to me, there on his wall, along with all of his framed letters.