[theme music]
Anna Martin: From The New York Times,
I'm Anna Martin.
This is Modern Love.
When my grandfather was near the end of his life,
there were days I'd come home
and we'd just sit on the couch together.
Occasionally, he'd eat Cheetos.
He loved them, and he called them 'shrimps'
because that's what he thought they looked like.
Often, he would fall asleep.
It's important to just sit next to someone you love,
to refill their bowl with shrimps —
to be there because soon the other person might not be.
This week's essay is about that type of care —
showing up, being present,
in this case, after a very painful history together.
It's written by Nora Johnson and read by Suzanne Toren.
Suzanne Toren: One of the things old people do
is visit other old people in hospitals.