"Why did you hang your ancient marriage license to Grandmother on the wall next to the kitchen table? Everyone knows you two have been married sixty years."
The grandfather replied, "I needed a way to remember her name, and I see it now three times a day."
Not a good joke, right?
As more and more of us deal with loved ones who have dementia, we realize how important our minds are.
My daughter with dementia can no longer read. Documents don't help her.
I spent the afternoon with her yesterday. I read cards she'd kept from her early days of marriage. Her hubby died in 2015, about the time she was diagnosed. They were sweet cards and she cried. I left them on a side table and wished she could read them at will.
Appreciate your memory.
Appreciate your ability to read.
Appreciate your independence.
Take nothing for granted. It could be gone in a second.
We may forget who we are, but God always knows us and calls us by name. Take comfort, my friend.