When I was a young man

This song reminds me of my father.

He does not have any short term memory and he does not understand where he is or why he is there but his dementia is not like mom's.

She is travelling deeper and deeper into the Alzheimer's Disease. One day she will have progressed in the disease to the place where she can no longer stay at Sutter Living Center but will have to go over to the regular nursing home area.

What will Dad do then? He will not understand.

I love him so much these days.

He always smiles and is so happy to see me when I visit and he takes my hand and we walk the hallways talking about Louisville and the old house on Primrose. "Have I picked up his mail there while he has been away."

He wonders if the cottage is all secure and his boats looked after.

How were his parents when I last saw them and his brother, Bob and sister, MaryLou.

His sentences are always perfect and his vocabulary usage undiminished.

But where are you, Dad? I miss you. I miss Mom. You don't call me anymore on the phone and at Christmas you are not there. You always loved Christmas. I remember you putting the bike together in the workroom of the basement in LaGrange that you had gotten for Bill one Christmas. You let me watch and we talked about how excited Bill would be.

You may even remember the year you got Nancy and me those wonderful electric typewriters!

You enjoyed Christmas this year. You had mom with you and you held her hand and told her how pretty she looked. She stuck out her tongue and waggled it at you while making a face.

What do you suppose she thinks about?

But she knows me and she seemed to recognize Alex and his family when they visited after Christmas. Alex said,"This is Stephen, do you remember him?"

Her wonderful answer was," Of course, I would never forget him." It was a miracle sentence.

Social situations bring out the best in her.

Love you Mom