Finding Rays of Joy in the Dark Clouds of Alzheimer’s

Joy & her father, 2011

As an admitted pessimist, I watched with a heavy heart as Alzheimer’s crippled my dad’s mind and body. On one visit home, my dad restlessly paced the living room floor, then suddenly stopped in front of the couch where my mom and I were sitting. He asked, with complete sincerity, “Where’s Jane?” My mom’s name is Jane, and my parents were married for 40 years. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. My mom remained calm, obviously used to this line of questioning. She simply responded, “I’m right here.” Mom’s strength as my dad’s primary caregiver continued to amaze me throughout my dad’s battle with Alzheimer’s. After breaking her shoulder due to a fall no doubt caused by exhaustion, she still boarded a bus for the hour-and-a-half trip each way to visit my dad in the memory care center he was residing…