Tomorrow is my parent's 52nd Wedding Anniversary - I've been dreading it. What is dad feeling? How can we celebrate with mum so ill? How should I mark the occasion? How can I make it something positive for them? It has been going round and round in my head.
Today I took over 4 bunches of flowers, 2 for the NH, 2 for home - tomorrow they wake to the same sunny flowers. After feeding mum tea, we took her out in the garden; at first she sat in her wheelchair, but then we felt it was right to sit her on the rug between us; and we sat in the evening sun, and dad reminisced. He told me how they had fallen out on their Wedding eve, because 'his' family were working to prepare the village hall for the reception, and they went to mum's house where they were sitting drinking tea!! Tomorrow dad is taking mum home for tea, and I'm going to join them; we planned the meal on the rug together - has to be easy to swallow! And now my celebration cake is cooking, and as I mixed it I raised a glass to my parents and grandparents; those that knew how to work industriously and those that knew the importance of having time for one another.
Tonight I will sleep, because I think that we have found the way to celebrate a love that has lasted. Dementia is a cruel illness - but there are some things that it cannot destroy.
Helen
Today I took over 4 bunches of flowers, 2 for the NH, 2 for home - tomorrow they wake to the same sunny flowers. After feeding mum tea, we took her out in the garden; at first she sat in her wheelchair, but then we felt it was right to sit her on the rug between us; and we sat in the evening sun, and dad reminisced. He told me how they had fallen out on their Wedding eve, because 'his' family were working to prepare the village hall for the reception, and they went to mum's house where they were sitting drinking tea!! Tomorrow dad is taking mum home for tea, and I'm going to join them; we planned the meal on the rug together - has to be easy to swallow! And now my celebration cake is cooking, and as I mixed it I raised a glass to my parents and grandparents; those that knew how to work industriously and those that knew the importance of having time for one another.
Tonight I will sleep, because I think that we have found the way to celebrate a love that has lasted. Dementia is a cruel illness - but there are some things that it cannot destroy.
Helen