“The doctors told us that he’d never be able to talk again.  Listen to him now!” – Millicent Penovich

Millicent the Magnificent

We stood on the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains looking across the rolling, golden hills.  The rustle of waiving, native ryegrass created a rushing sound which enveloped us.  Lamar and Millicent would normally be easily understood in any conversation.  But something had changed that.

Lamar struggled to get his words out, because he recently had a stroke.  And, while his words were not clearly there, his eyes were.  I could see frustration held back, just behind his pupils, as if corralled by an earthen dam.  He could still think clearly.  He just wasn’t able to communicate in the same way he normally could with everyone else.  Except for Millicent.

Millicent has been Lamar’s spouse for more than thirty years and this familiarity, combined with love, has provided them with a higher level of communication.  This mountainside meeting was the perfect time and viewpoint for them to demonstrate this.  There was Lamar trying to climb the mountain of speaking what his mind was thinking.  And, there was Millicent standing beside him, reading him, understanding him and becoming his voice of patience.

I say patience because Lamar was forced to be patient with both Millicent and me during our attempted understanding.  I also say patience because I watched Millicent carefully and lovingly listen, repeat and listen again.  She never tired of this process even though I knew it was a constant in every one of her days and nights.

“Love never fails!  She is magnificent!”  I thought to myself as I observed and participated in this mountain-climbing-exercise about seven months ago.  We had not spoken verbally much at all since then.

That changed over the past couple of weeks as we were directly working together again.  That’s how I know Lamar and Millicent have traveled almost to the top of their communication mountain.  We were conversing on the phone and I could understand almost everything Lamar was saying!  Of course, there were a few stumbling points.  And, when there was such moment Millicent was there beside him, reading him, understanding him and continuing to be his voice of patience.

“Look at you!”  I exclaimed to Lamar.  “You’re talking like a river flows!”

“He’s doing very well!”  Millicent responded.  “The doctors told us that he’d never be able to talk again.  Listen to him now!”

“Listen to him now, indeed!”  I thought, as I remembered that particular summer day, when we were standing on the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains, looking across the rolling, golden hills that make up their beautiful property.  The rustle of waiving, native ryegrass created a rushing sound which enveloped us.  Lamar and Millicent would normally be easily understood in any conversation.  But a stroke had changed that for the both of them.

Yet, the real, most important change, came into Lamar’s life long ago.  And today, Millicent the Magnificent is still, steadfastly standing at his side, making a hard time easier, while filling their lives with unwavering love, and understanding.  She’s an example, to you and me, of how we can devotedly ascend every one of life’s mountains beside those we love.