There are many times when I walk into my mom’s room and she has this befuddled look on her face. I watch as her eyes wander slowly around the room, studying each piece of furniture, the window, and the doorways. Her eyes will land on pictures of once familiar people and a blankness has slipped over her eyes like a mask – no light of recognition.
In these moments Mom will often ask,
“How did I get here?”
I no longer answer by explaining, “Well, about two years ago I moved you from your home in Milwaukee so that you could live with me and I could help take care of you.” I don’t tell her she has Alzheimer’s. Unless she specifically asks, we don’t dwell on the fact that she can no longer handle money, make decisions, cook, drive, or take care of herself.
That’s too much information.
The answer that brings her the most comfort goes something like this:
“You moved in with me because I love you.”
Perfect answer!
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Oh my gosh…this is lovely! ❤
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You’re so lucky to have your momma with you. I still can’t convince my mom to go live with us.
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Yes, I am very lucky. Winnie, it really was hard convincing my momma that it would be best if she would move closer to me. There came a time when I was visiting with her for several days where SHE brought up the idea. Since she was having a rare day of thinking clearly, we agreed together that we should move forward with selling her home. Shortly thereafter, she had her doubts. I needed to stay strong and keep moving in the direction of moving her. A wise person once said, “Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light.”
More often than not, nowadays, Momma feels like she has lived here forever. In fact, most of the time she thinks that WE are the ones living with HER in HER home. 😉
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Reblogged this on Barefoot Lily Lady and commented:
A memory from two years ago …
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