Posted 12-5-19
Have you ever thought of the broken Alzheimer’s mind as a return to innocence? Like a removal from the cares of this world to a land where joy abounds and your needs should be met and your stress much simpler. I know many do. I am also quite confident, though, that some are annoyed by the discussion of this concept, saying that it is disrespectful to patients/loved ones to compare them to innocent babies. Hopefully not to further make you mad if you fall into the latter camp, here is a little poem that I hope may further my point that they are, indeed, as sweet and precious as children:
Innocence, in a Sense
Life is like a circle, I’ve heard the wise say,
Gone (maybe) tomorrow, born but yesterday.
Born. Grows in facts and wisdom each living day.
From innocence, to wide-eyed, then back they say.
From innocence to not to back again, see?
What strips us of this youthfulness, you ask me?
How do we return today to peace, fully?
It can’t be done, you just can’t ungrow a tree.
But my mom, with a star glimmer in each eye,
Seems to be returned to innocence, or nie.
Dementia has been savage I will not lie
But today toward this innocence doth she fly.
Anxiety, sadness, and all kinds of woe,
Replaced by a gentle, happy stare, you know,
Dementia was a terrible, awful foe
Like an ungrowing tree, mom seems to ungrow.
Life is a circle, I won’t argue with you,
Mom was once young, then old, and now young anew
I hate this disease, I really, really do
But Innocence lost and gained, seems to be true.
-Mark
#EndALZ
Update: Another decent day for mom yesterday. I swung by just after lunch, a bad time for “conversation” as she is super tired at that time, but it was nice to sit and hold hands and watch it snow out the corner room’s big windows. She smiles, laughs and stares blankly…but intently…like a small child. I am sorry if this offends. I respect her more than ever for fighting this adversary like the soldier that she is.
2nd to last note: Innocence, in the poem above, is not meant to be used in the Christian meaning, but a “state of mind” meaning. Simple, sweet…childlike.
Last note: we passed 6,000 subscribers! 🙂 Woot! I am humbled and super thankful!!! Thank you to all and please keep sharing posts and telling others. There is so much to do if we are going to #EndALZ
Your post today once again really touched my heart! Bob is getting more and more confused daily and he truly is back in the small child innocence stage. He watched tv and thinks the people are here with us tho he looks for them and cannot find them. I took him to DG tonight and he bought a pack of cigarettes. I tried to get him not to (he has not smoked for almost 29 years). In the car we talked and he told me that was not what he wanted to buy but did not know what he had gone after. I said was it your Chew and the light came on for him. He had me take him to Caseys them to buy it because he was embarrassed to go back in DG.
Thanks for all your time and effort to educate and rid our world of this horrid disease.
I am so sorry Shirley! Your caregiving example is a wonderful testimony to your love to your husband. Praying for you two.