Finishing Strong
When a loved one has Alzheimer’s/Dementia
“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.” ― Gabriel García Márquez
How do you feel about this quote? Is life all about the memories?
What if our memories fade with time? Or if they’re obscured as a side effect of Alzheimer’s/Dementia? What will matter then?
Interestingly, the same author (García Márquez) provides a clue to what will be significant if our memories wane. In a contrasting quote, he claims,
“It’s enough for me to be sure that you and I exist at this moment.”
Can existing in the present moment be enough to ease the pain of those affected by a loved one’s memory loss? Perhaps. But to paraphrase lyrics by Stevie Nicks, the madness comes in the stillness of remembering what you had…and what you lost. “Dreams” (1977)
Sadness, anger, and feelings of grief surrounding Alzheimer’s are familiar to me. 3 out of my 4 biological grandparents were diagnosed with degenerative brain disease in the last 2 decades.
At 93 years old, Grandma Margo is now my only living grandparent. She can be counted among the over 55 million people living with Alzheimer’s worldwide. (ADI 2020) For the third time, I’m experiencing tough…
