Thursday, April 16, 2009

Alzheimer's: A beloved Grandma

“My grandma and I were very close. I would help her with daily activities, and she would give me a shoulder to cry on when I was upset.”

Alzheimer’s robs us of a loved one who used to respond to our everyday and special questions … someone who knew exactly what to say to make us feel better … someone who used to share their highs and lows with us.

While they struggle with, or eventually forget, the basics of communication, which make our human relationships unique, they have left us in one respect, even if their physical body survives for several years. That creates a void so deep within us that we often struggle for a long time with how to replace it.

Resist the temptation to fill it with food, alcohol, drugs or other self-destructive behavior. Fill it with other individual connections that lift you and affirm you as a human being. That’s what we’re here for.

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