Dear Will, I have a suggestion, if you both enjoy live music, SPoT Coffee hosts a swing jazz group on Saturday afternoons between 2:30 and 4:30. Old American Songbook and early jazz songs are our specialty. People come and go as they please or need to. I am the current vocalist in the group, Deja Vu Jazz and have seen a few very positive reactions to the music in people with Alzheimers or dementia. Of course, live music is not to everyone's taste, but I thought I would mention it.
God bless you Will &, of course Bella - what you are describing column after column is my biggest nightmare for myself as my memory is quite bad - I'm almost 88 & it aint" getting any better, it's actually going the other route - my wonderful wife died w/heart complications, so I've seen a little of that, which was terrifying at times w/the shortness of breath so is there an easy way to go, ha ha. As the saying goes, Ya play the game and take ur chances. God bless both you and Bella. PS, Please keep on writing for your sake and to enlighten us & thank you for your courage, as I'm sure Bella probably forgets to, & may God continue to bless her.
Your story and your strength are inspirational; I hope I can be like that with people I love. A friend of mine, who runs a very large nonprofit and is also a church pastor, took care of her very, very elderly Mom who had Alzheimers. I don't know where she found the time to do it all. Her Mom was non verbal the last couple years of her life, and it seemed like my friend had a very busy social life giving her Mom a social life. I was always reading posts of her taking her Mom to things like a Frank Sinatra tribute band or helping to cook for some holiday potluck or something She was absolutely heartbroken when her Mom passed at a very old age; her Mom was lucky to have her and she felt like that about her Mom. I have such admiration for people like her and you.
I have such fond memories of Bella from our days at DVP. Our clients benefited having her there with her quirky vision of how the world should be. She was right most of the time and her willingness to give so much of herself to make someone else happy. She was never afraid what others thought of her as she fought for others. You must hold on to those memories, since half a life with Bella is better than no life without her. She must have given you more insight in the human condition than anyone else you ever met. We are here for a reason, and you are there to help her through this journey in dignity. Thank you in advance for helping her through this.
Thanks for writing this.
Prayers for Bella and Will as I head out the door to morning Mass!
God bless you and keep you strong!
Sharing your story has taken courage and strength. Thank you for doing so.
Reminds me of a couple of books that are favorites in our house, both by Haven Kimmel:
"A Girl Named Zippy," and particularly "She Got Up Off the Couch."
Those couches... they might seem like comfort zones, but staying on them too long can be deadly.
Dear Will, I have a suggestion, if you both enjoy live music, SPoT Coffee hosts a swing jazz group on Saturday afternoons between 2:30 and 4:30. Old American Songbook and early jazz songs are our specialty. People come and go as they please or need to. I am the current vocalist in the group, Deja Vu Jazz and have seen a few very positive reactions to the music in people with Alzheimers or dementia. Of course, live music is not to everyone's taste, but I thought I would mention it.
After reading this, I empathize with you and feel very very blessed.
Unless someone has experienced what you are going through, it can not be fully understood. Prayers!!
God bless you Will &, of course Bella - what you are describing column after column is my biggest nightmare for myself as my memory is quite bad - I'm almost 88 & it aint" getting any better, it's actually going the other route - my wonderful wife died w/heart complications, so I've seen a little of that, which was terrifying at times w/the shortness of breath so is there an easy way to go, ha ha. As the saying goes, Ya play the game and take ur chances. God bless both you and Bella. PS, Please keep on writing for your sake and to enlighten us & thank you for your courage, as I'm sure Bella probably forgets to, & may God continue to bless her.
Your story and your strength are inspirational; I hope I can be like that with people I love. A friend of mine, who runs a very large nonprofit and is also a church pastor, took care of her very, very elderly Mom who had Alzheimers. I don't know where she found the time to do it all. Her Mom was non verbal the last couple years of her life, and it seemed like my friend had a very busy social life giving her Mom a social life. I was always reading posts of her taking her Mom to things like a Frank Sinatra tribute band or helping to cook for some holiday potluck or something She was absolutely heartbroken when her Mom passed at a very old age; her Mom was lucky to have her and she felt like that about her Mom. I have such admiration for people like her and you.
I have such fond memories of Bella from our days at DVP. Our clients benefited having her there with her quirky vision of how the world should be. She was right most of the time and her willingness to give so much of herself to make someone else happy. She was never afraid what others thought of her as she fought for others. You must hold on to those memories, since half a life with Bella is better than no life without her. She must have given you more insight in the human condition than anyone else you ever met. We are here for a reason, and you are there to help her through this journey in dignity. Thank you in advance for helping her through this.