Definition

Commitment.
Care.
Communication.

Without consultation, Mary, Kristy, and Phụng came up with the same words to define "love".
They were making a retreat at our convent the past summer.
They had words which no one will dispute.

Mr. L had actions which many did not like.
Especially his sons.
His daughter, a recovering brain cancer patient, fell into an unconscious state after minor surgery for a stomachache.

Trish, 45 and single, did not respond to any visual or audio stimulation.
The doctor said she was brain-dead.
The Church teaches families could decide either way for PVS (permanent vegetative state) patients.

Her brothers wanted to pull the plug.
Her mom, 85 and diabetic, had dementia.
Her dad, Mr. L, could not bear to consciously end his own daughter's life.

Who could?

After a day of hesitation, the family decided to have another meeting.
During this time, the doctor took Trish off the breathing apparatus.
She breathed on her own, to the astonishment of all.

Is Trish alive?
By whose definition?
The doctors, the brothers, or dad?

Intimate.
Hard (sometimes).
Those were the other definitions that Mary, Kristy, and Phụng gave to "love".

Mr. L gingerly pressed my hand.
"Sơ Vân, pray for Trish... pray for me. I know God sends enough strength for trials. It is just so hard to bear." His deep dark eyes shone with pain.

It is the agony of a father who patiently waits for his child to wake from deadening sleep.
Much like God for us.
A definition in action.

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