Brian the Doting Husband

Although Brian could often appear to be gruff to people on the surface, I gradually saw another softer side to him that pleasantly surprised me. He was clearly in love with his wife Laura, even after many years of marriage and after having two kids. He would often defer many decisions regarding vacations, home decor purchases and other things in his home life, entirely to Laura. And he would speak of her in such glowing terms. I got the sense that he truly and deeply admired Laura's intellect and decision-making. I was kind of jealous. I wish my own dear husband would regard me like that! Where my husband would criticize my expenditures, Brian deferentially did not interfere with Laura's shopping decisions and in fact praised her.

Brian would also describe how well organized Laura is, and how well she managed all the domestic duties, planned their vacations and be a VP at her company at the same time. Laura definitely impresses me.

I would sometimes joke with Brian that he doesn't deserve such an amazing woman as Laura and that I couldn't understand what she saw in him. He would always say how lucky he is that she agreed to marry him.

I clearly remember that for her birthday earlier this year, he consulted me and a fellow colleague on a gift for Laura. He knew that she really liked flavoured coffees and she was particular about quality. He asked us whether we knew of any specialty coffee stores that sell really good flavoured coffee. We settled on Timothy's. He put together a nice basket with several small glass containers filled with flavoured coffee of different kinds. We remarked to him how nice the gift looked. He impressed me with how much thought and care he put into Laura's gift.

However, it wasn't until Brian's funeral and hearing Laura's eulogy for him, that I truly understood how deep was the love that they shared together. I was moved to tears beyond grief. The floodgates opened and there was nothing I could do to stop it. To hear how they regarded each other as intertwined souls, how Brian proposed to her, how they traveled the world together and how Laura spent their last few moments in each other's arms, feeling his heartbeat, it was so beautiful, so romantic of an epic scale. More powerful than any of the most romantic novels or movies that I have ever experienced in my life. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire place. Even the rabbi was choked up. Not even the most hardened souls on this Earth could possibly bear the weight and intensity of such love without breaking out into tears.

That such love could exist in this world is a miracle. I find it incredibly inspirational and I felt compelled to write this all down. Even now, I can't hold back my tears as I write this. May these two souls find each other in the next life and be with each other for ever and ever.