Valentine’s Day and the Love That Lasts

On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate romance at its most picture-perfect. But at Cambridge Caregivers, our caregivers are privileged to witness something even deeper: real love.

In our older clients, we see the kind of love that endures through sickness, uncertainty and the long passage of time. The kind that remains when youthful beauty fades and life grows more complicated.

We see that kind of love in couples like Kay and Donald, who have been married for more than 60 years.

“They hold hands all the time,” says Rachel O’Brien, Community Liaison for Cambridge Caregivers. “The photo you see of them wasn’t staged. They sit together like that all the time. She snuggles next to him constantly. When I tell you they are in love, I mean it.”

Kay and Donald’s story began more than six decades ago at Travis Baptist Church, where Kay attended a jewelry party with a group of young women. Donald and his friends decided to crash the gathering. From that moment on, they’ve been inseparable.

Over the years, life has brought challenges, including health issues that sometimes require time apart. But even then, their bond never loosens. “When she’s not home, he’s often in tears,” Rachel says. “When she’s in the hospital, our caregivers take him to see her every single day, and they stay the whole day. They just want to be together.”

Their daughter once told Rachel, “Mom and Dad don’t realize how special their relationship is.” It’s a love marked not by bickering or bitterness, but by devotion, gentleness and an unwavering need to be at each other’s side.

This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate couples like Kay and Donald — and the quiet, steadfast love our caregivers are honored to witness every day. To all our clients and their families, we wish you a day filled with connection, comfort, and the enduring power of love.