With this ring…
This is my mom’s wedding ring. I saw it sitting on her dresser the last time I went home and it stopped me in my tracks.
She hasn’t been able to wear it in years. She would play with it, taking it on and off her finger, and my dad was afraid that she would lose it, so she no longer wears it.
Yet another thing that Alzheimer’s has stolen from her. From them.
But…
Alzheimer’s can never and will never steal the love this ring represents.
It can never take away my mom’s love for her husband or my dad’s undying, unwavering love for his wife. They may not have a perfect love, no one does, but it is strong.
A bond so deep that my mom knows the moment my dad has entered a room, even though he hasn’t uttered a word. He doesn’t need to. She can feel his presence.
A connection so strong that my dad knows exactly what my mom wants or needs, even though she can no longer tell him. She doesn’t need to. He just knows.
Alzheimer’s has stolen so much from all of us.
It broke my heart to see her wedding ring, a symbol of their eternal love, just sitting there on her dresser, unworn.
My mom never went a day without wearing it, for as long as I can remember, until Alzheimer’s took it away from her, so cruelly and unapologetically. Even to this day, she pulls at and plays with her ring finger constantly, as if she knows something is missing.
It breaks my heart, but I know this ring is just a symbol. It’s just a material thing to remind them of their vows and the commitment they made to one another over 51 years ago.
Deep down, I know they don’t need it anymore.
They don’t need a physical reminder of the love and bond they share, for it is something they possess deep within themselves, in their hearts and in their souls.
And that is something Alzheimer’s can never take away.
With this ring…
