As told by Reverend G …
My mother came to visit me last night, and we made sugar cookies together. Then this morning, she was gone and Chris told me it was a dream.
I think he is wrong. It was too real to be a dream.
When I was a child, I thought like a child. Now that I am an adult with Alzheimer’s, I still think like a child. I would give anything to start my life over and be a child again – a real child – not this fake, pretend sometimes-adult-sometimes-child personhood.
Chris brushes my hair and tries to braid it, because I have forgotten how to weave the strands in and out, up and under.
My mother does the best job with my hair and tonight, I will ask her to fix it for me.
When I was a child, just yesterday I think, I wanted to stand in front of people and tell them about God. I’m not sure if I ever did that, but that boy, my son – he said I used to preach.
I hope I did it well as I cannot remember any subjects I might have preached about.
The only thing I do remember is what I am reading now in my Bible. It is from a book with a funny name, Psalms. The numbers are 56:3 and 4, “When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting him, what can mere man do to me?”
The nurses do funny things to me as they bathe me and try to coax me to eat. I don’t like those little brown cookies with vanilla pudding on top. Too mushy. I like little blue rocks…some kind of berries…on top of Chunky Monkey ice cream.
But no matter what they feed me, somewhere inside me is the God I trust. And since the Bible says I don’t have to be afraid … then that’s what I will hang on to.
Even when I cannot brush my own hair, I will keep my confidence in the God I can trust. He will not let me down.
©2015 RJ Thesman – Author of the Reverend G Books – http://bit.ly/1RH27AT
Reverend G. gives me so much hope that those in the grip of Alzheimer’s Disease still have the presence of their heavenly Father. What a gift to the caregivers!
Thank you, Jane. I am so hoping the Rev G books will be an encouragement.
“Back to Childhood” is a meaningful piece. I shared it with someone whose wife is suffering from memory loss and is now in a special home.
Thank you, Charlotte. I hope it was an encouragement to your friend.
My mother in law is in this place too only she is angry and afraid. I hope she can find God and learn to trust him.
Anger and fear are common problems and so difficult to deal with because they don’t understand. All we can do is pray and continue to show them compassion and care.
Once again, you give great insight into a stage of Alzheimer’s. Thank you. I find that this one brings me to tears and helps me with the patience I need for those struggling with Alzheimer’s. It also, again, spurs me to compassion for the caregivers. They are heroes!
Thanks, SuZan – yes indeed – caregivers are the heroes and sheroes of this horrid disease. They are also, ultimately, the ones most affected.