The other day I was in the supermarket near my flat with my wife. It had been a long time since I had gone shopping with her. I had been reluctant to do so. I was afraid I would upset her if I followed her. I do not know what got into me, but I liked going to the store with her. I asked her if I might go with her, and then, she agreed. But before we left our flat, I asked her to go on alone without waiting for me if she found that I was walking so slowly that she could not bear to walk with me. When we actually began to walk together, I found that my walking was very slow. It was much slower than I had expected. My speed was less than half that of my wife. However, she was patient in walking with me. In particular, she must have been much harder when we were heading home from the store. She had to walk with me while she was carrying everything she bought at the store. She was so concerned about my bad hips that she did not allow me to carry any of them. But sometimes, she gave up walking together for minutes. When she could no longer bear to walk with me, she sped up a little faster and walked alone. At that moment, I thought that she would continue on her way and go home on her own, but she did not. She was waiting for me along the way. Since then, she repeated it several times and we could come home together. It is only my wife that has supported me in this way.
Looking back on my life with her, she has sometimes disappointed me and made me uncomfortable. She has complained to and yelled at me when she has found what I did unbearable. It makes me very uncomfortable. But it is a tiny matter, and I can forget it in a few days. Overall, I have no choice but her and I will be able to find no one, like her, who support me. I really have to appreciate my wife.

　先日、久々に、妻の買い物に付き合いました。買い物についていくと迷惑をかけると思い、ずっと躊躇していました。それが、先日はどういう風の吹き回しか、ついていきたくなったのです。妻についていくといったら、了解してくれたので、ついていきました。でも、ボクがとろとろ歩いて、我慢できなくなったら先に行ってもらう、妻にお願いしました。いざ、一緒に歩くと、ボクの進みは予想通り遅く、妻の歩くスピードもいつもの半分以下になってしまいました。それでも、我慢してついてきてくれました。特に、妻は、帰りが大変だったと思います。買い物を全部抱えながら、ボクのとろいスピードに合わせ歩くのですから。ボクの股関節を気にして、ボクは買い物を持たせてもらえなかったのです。さすがに、ボクのスピードに合わせるのが嫌になると、少しはや歩きで先に進んでいました。そのまま、家まで行ってしまうのかと思ったら、途中で待っていてくれました。これを何度か繰り返して、一緒に家に帰りつきました。こんなことをしてくれるのは、妻しかいません。
　妻との生活を振り返えると、がっかりしたり、不愉快になるときもありました。ボクが気に食わないことをすると、文句をいって、怒鳴りつけてきます。言われると不愉快ですが、些細なことです。数日もすれば、忘れられます。大きな目で見ると、妻以外にこんな風に支えてくれる人はいません。妻に感謝です。