I’m Losing My Mother
The Steep Downslide of Alzheimer’s
I’ve got an awesome mother. Growing up we had our disagreements and didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but she was always there with her arms open to give me the hug I didn’t even know I needed.
She was a teacher for twenty years. Year after year she would help kids learn and grow and she would celebrate each and every one of their accomplishments.
When she retired, she wasn’t quite done yet. Instead of just sitting around, she volunteered with the CASA program giving a voice to the kids who desperately needed someone to speak up for them and put them in the best situation possible.
I loved visiting them as an adult. Each morning I would wake up and wander out into the kitchen. My parents would be sitting at the island, drinking coffee and reading the paper. As soon as I sat down with them, my dad would slide over copies of the daily Sudoku puzzle and the three of us would race to see who could complete it first.
It’s so hard to watch someone mentally decline who spent their life working in the education system and doing whatever she could to help me, my brother, and my sister study and get the best grades possible.
Today is her birthday. Today she turns seventy-seven. Today she couldn’t even remember where they were flying to…