"I'm not an expert on Alzheimer's disease, but I am an expert on loving someone who has it." – Lauren Dykovitz
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. I bet you didn’t even realize you were holding your breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. I know in this moment it doesn’t feel like it, but you are going to be okay. You are going to figure this out. Be still and feel your own heart beating. Listen to the sound … Continue reading To the Girl Whose Parent Was Just Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s…
For a long time, I used to think about my mom’s Alzheimer’s mostly in terms of how it affected me. How sad it was that she was diagnosed so young, when I was only 25 years old. How sad it was for me to lose my mom this way. How sad it was that there … Continue reading My Mom’s Alzheimer’s Is About Her, Not Me
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to John’s Pass for the afternoon. It’s a fishing village with a boardwalk and tons of shops and restaurants. We went into a little dog boutique and I found this adorable mug. I painstakingly selected the most perfect mug without any nicks or cracks on it … Continue reading We Break, But We Always Rebuild Ourselves
My dad had an appointment with a funeral home director a couple of weeks ago. I remember him mentioning something to me, but I didn’t know he had made an appointment or when it was. At the time, I didn’t even think to tell him to wait for me to come home so I could … Continue reading You Can Do Hard Things Out of Love
You’re going to miss this someday. Whatever you’re going through right now. Whatever your biggest challenge is. The thing that drives you absolutely crazy and frustrates you to your core. You’re going to miss it someday. It seems like just yesterday I was driving my mom to the hairdresser or out to go shopping. She … Continue reading Someday You’re Going to Miss What Seems Hard Today
“You’re so strong.” I hear this so often from people and I think the same thing every time. “If they only knew...” If they only knew I cried myself to sleep last night. If they only knew I sobbed into a bowl of cereal for dinner. If they only knew I woke up at the … Continue reading Maybe Strength Is Found in the Dark
A few weeks ago, I was at Old Navy shopping for some new clothes. I had a gift card that had been burning a hole in my wallet for months, so I finally decided to use it. I was about halfway through the women’s section, carrying a huge pile of clothes over my arm, mindlessly … Continue reading Grief Shows Up When You Least Expect It
I have always hated this picture. I look like I’m disgusted with my mom. I look like I’m embarrassed and ashamed of her. I look like I don’t want anything to do with her. I remember that I didn’t really want to touch her because she was sweaty from dancing by herself all … Continue reading Forgive Yourself, You’re Doing the Best You Can
My husband recently told me that he doesn’t remember what I was like before my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I guess that’s fair. We only started dating one year before I started noticing changes in my mom and only two years before she was officially diagnosed. We actually got engaged the same month my … Continue reading How to Love an Alzheimer’s Daughter
I am just like my mom. The older I get, the more I realize this. My mom has a big heart. She always thinks about other people’s feelings first. She always puts other people’s needs before her own. She always gives her all for the people she loves, even when she doesn’t get it in … Continue reading I Just Want to Make My Mom Proud
