In the car on the way to dialysis my mother said, “This morning I told your father to go eat his breakfast because I was going to need some help getting dressed, but I wanted a few minutes to rest in bed first.”
Geez, Rebecca, this one really made me cry. That picture will always turn my heart upside down with grief and tenderness. He's lost a lot but he's still scraping his bowl to the last little drop of whatever Alzheimers friendly food he is eating.
I know, I cried when I wrote it. I'm going through all my notes from that time period and reliving a lot. It's very healing and very tear-jerky! That picture gets me every time, too. It's definitely worth more than my thousand words.
And ha ha, yes re: the scraping the bowl. And it's loud, too!
So, so beautiful. As I write this, tears are streaming down my cheeks and I'm remembering my sweet husband Jim who died of Lewy Body Dementia 4 years ago. Dementia is a horrific disease but when we're lucky as I was with Jim, the soul and personality remain till the end. I loved the part of your piece about your dad just climbing into bed with your mom and holding her. So frigging sweet. Thank you, Dear Rebecca.
Thank you Maggie--I'm so sorry you have to go through that with your husband, I didn't realize it was so recent. It IS a hard disease, and you're right, it is so lucky when the soul and personality are still there. I see this more and more with my dad and I'm so grateful. That moment when he climbed into bed with her is one that will never leave me. Thank you so much for appreciating it, and for being here. I love you so much!
Thank you, Amalia. I’m so glad to have that photo. I hesitated to take it at the time because it was such an intimate moment, but I really cherish it now.
I’ll be sorry to miss you this weekend it would have been so fun to have you! Next time. Have fun in Italy!
This is so tender and beautiful, Rebecca. Your mom knowing she’s been forgotten— that was so heart wrenching— especially because she needed so much help.
Thanks, Jamie. I know! He really was very attentive, I think it would hurt him even now to know he forgot about her that day. Are you coming to the writing sprint this Saturday? Would love to see you if you can be there!
I'm so excited that you're coming! I'm looking forward to writing with YOU.
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. It's definitely a journey and if you need any support, don't hesitate to reach out. I know what's like, and am here for you.
Ufff, Rebecca, this is stunning and made me very emotional. Scraping the yoghurt pot. Such a perfect detail. Maybe you should be a writer 🤗😂❤️❤️❤️ I loved this.
This is such a beautiful piece of writing, Rebecca. It made me cry. And that photo is so poignant. Sending love 💕
Thank you so much Gail! Miss you!
Geez, Rebecca, this one really made me cry. That picture will always turn my heart upside down with grief and tenderness. He's lost a lot but he's still scraping his bowl to the last little drop of whatever Alzheimers friendly food he is eating.
I know, I cried when I wrote it. I'm going through all my notes from that time period and reliving a lot. It's very healing and very tear-jerky! That picture gets me every time, too. It's definitely worth more than my thousand words.
And ha ha, yes re: the scraping the bowl. And it's loud, too!
Come home soon!
So, so beautiful. As I write this, tears are streaming down my cheeks and I'm remembering my sweet husband Jim who died of Lewy Body Dementia 4 years ago. Dementia is a horrific disease but when we're lucky as I was with Jim, the soul and personality remain till the end. I loved the part of your piece about your dad just climbing into bed with your mom and holding her. So frigging sweet. Thank you, Dear Rebecca.
Thank you Maggie--I'm so sorry you have to go through that with your husband, I didn't realize it was so recent. It IS a hard disease, and you're right, it is so lucky when the soul and personality are still there. I see this more and more with my dad and I'm so grateful. That moment when he climbed into bed with her is one that will never leave me. Thank you so much for appreciating it, and for being here. I love you so much!
Thank you for sharing this with us, Rebecca. There's such tenderness between the words and lines and unspoken communication.
Thank you for reading and for this comment, Victoria. I appreciate it so much!
I’m crying. It’s everything that makes life life.
Aw, Priya, thank you. Not that I want to make you cry, but I'm so happy that it moved you.
Poignant and beautiful.
Thank you so much Linda.
Such a beautiful remembrance.
Thank you, Jennifer! So nice to see you here!
Such a touching essay. Deep chords.
Beautiful, Rebecca. If I were home, I would join you to write this weekend. What a beautiful photo of the two of them.
Thank you, Amalia. I’m so glad to have that photo. I hesitated to take it at the time because it was such an intimate moment, but I really cherish it now.
I’ll be sorry to miss you this weekend it would have been so fun to have you! Next time. Have fun in Italy!
such tender beauty - this is what life gives us and we must embrace it all...
Thank you so much, Mike. 100% agreed!
This is so tender and beautiful, Rebecca. Your mom knowing she’s been forgotten— that was so heart wrenching— especially because she needed so much help.
Thanks, Jamie. I know! He really was very attentive, I think it would hurt him even now to know he forgot about her that day. Are you coming to the writing sprint this Saturday? Would love to see you if you can be there!
My father received his own Alzheimer's diagnosis this year, so this one made me a little weepy. Looking forward to writing with you this weekend!
I'm so excited that you're coming! I'm looking forward to writing with YOU.
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. It's definitely a journey and if you need any support, don't hesitate to reach out. I know what's like, and am here for you.
Ufff, Rebecca, this is stunning and made me very emotional. Scraping the yoghurt pot. Such a perfect detail. Maybe you should be a writer 🤗😂❤️❤️❤️ I loved this.