ALZHEIMER'S -- WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE
Is it strange how an illness can change someone's life in a positive way? Since mom got Alzheimer's, my love for her has taken on a whole new meaning and my brother and I have become closer than we ever were before. Mom's disease has bonded us with a deeper sense of love, and I have gained a different respect for my brother and an unconditional love for my mother. Of course if I could rid mom of Alzheimer's I would have in two quick seconds!
Mom, My Brother, My Son & Me 2008 (Mom already had AD).
She is the reason for everything. She is my shining star. Mom has stirred up so many emotions, all filled with love. She has opened my eyes and world to many things that I might never have thought were possible. Without her, I never would have started writing my blog. In the beginning I would read to her what I wrote, and she would always thank me for the nice things I said about her.
Yet, I am incapable of doing the same for her. I miss and yearn to hear the sound of her voice, her words, her thoughts and her opinions. How I wish that she could share her feelings with me. I wonder what might still exist in her universe.
Over this Thanksgiving holiday weekend my husband and I took a ride to the country. I cherished seeing the brilliance of blue skies and the trees as their bright lush leaves glistened in the sunshine. There was a warm breeze that felt divine as my hair swirled in circles. I was feeling alive as I embraced all the natural beauty that surrounded me.
I then thought of my mother, how she can no longer appreciate any of this. Because of Alzheimer's her eyes can no longer recognize the glorious blue skies, nor the lush trees. I started thinking how her world has been robbed from her. It is no longer just her memory, but the simple beautiful things in life that no longer exist for her. I drifted into thinking, what sort of existence is this?
I know that one's life can end in a split second. With Alzheimer's it has been 12 years that we keep watching her disappear into a world that is certainly unknown.
I know that my mother is still alive yet I question, "Is she"? With every breath I take I pray that a cure will be found for this horrific disease. A disease that not only robs you from seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, but destroys a life that was once worth living.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
