Mom passed May 24th, 2018 and this spring I finally cleaned the last few boxes that I had taken from her home.  I had looked at the boxes over the past years but was always too afraid of what emotional bombs I would find.  There was only one.

“There is Something Strange about Osoyoos.  One meets a lot of nice people, has them over for a coffee or a meal.  They look at your books, (which are clearly marked with name and telephone # and a request to please return) and then you never hear from them again not even via telephone.  Nothing for the last 40 years.  Now I am out of books and Friends!”

I considered if I would post this as what was positive about it, what was funny, what was the lesson to share? It just hurt to know Mom felt this way.  But then I thought if this one post was sent to others that are afraid of Alzheimer’s maybe, just maybe they will visit an old friend.  That they will return the books, share a cup of tea and tell stories of the times they remember. That they won’t ask, “Do you know who I am?”  because it is not about them.  And they will give a little comfort. And while it will be hard and sad for them their hearts will grow for doing the right thing.  They will learn the dis-ease with the disease is something they can handle and that Alzheimer’s is not contagious.  And maybe they will visit next week as well.

I read, “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova while Mom was in an early stage and I just re-read it this spring.  Highly recommended for an understanding of what Alzheimer’s is like from the patient’s perspective. This book is both funny and heart wrenching.