What if this is the last time?
What if this is the last time your loved one tells you the same story for the hundredth time?
What if this is the last time your loved one calls you on the phone at an inconvenient time or any time at all?
What if this is the last time your loved one helps you fold the laundry or set the table even though they do it all wrong?
How would that make you feel? Would you miss it?
What if this is the last time you help your loved one get dressed and brush their teeth?
What if this is the last time you struggle to get your loved one into the car to take them out for lunch or a walk in the park?
What if this is the last time your loved one follows you around the house room to room, hovering over your shoulder the entire time?
How would that change the way you show up? Would it change anything at all?
What if this is the last time you help your loved one up from a chair?
What if this is the last time you tuck your loved one into their own bed at night?
What if this is the last time you feed your loved one a meal or get them something to drink?
With Alzheimer’s and dementia, you never know when it will be the last time. It’s that unpredictable.
And many times, the things that seem the most challenging or the most annoying in the moment are also the things you miss the most when they’re gone.
So as you go through your day—not just today, but every day—ask yourself, “What if this is the last time?”
Because someday, it will be.
*If this post resonated with you, you should consider joining the Alzheimer’s Daughters Club!
**If you liked this post, you would love my book “When Only Love Remains: Surviving My Mom’s Battle with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.” It’s available on all Amazon marketplaces.
