Magazine
Memory Watch | A Sweet Family Anecdote
In the fall of 2010 my mom, Betty (or Bet, as she is known), was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout her journey with this disease my mom continues to remind me that there is always a bright side, and that we are blessed in spite of our hardships. On a recent visit, I found my […]
In the fall of 2010 my mom, Betty (or Bet, as she is known), was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout her journey with this disease my mom continues to remind me that there is always a bright side, and that we are blessed in spite of our hardships.
On a recent visit, I found my mom in the beauty parlor getting her hair styled. She said she had a date that night with Jim so she wanted to look pretty. She was in rare form, singing “You Made Me Love You” and bopping around in the chair.
I noticed she had on two watches and asked her about it. She said “Oh, this one is Jim’s. He said he didn’t have a ring for me, so he asked me to wear his watch.”
After she got her hair fixed, we went back to her room to visit. She asked me about Dad (multiple times) and I told her he was gone. The last time she said, “Well, I thought he was, he used to visit me every day. He was a sweetie. I miss him. We had a damned good life together. Now I have Jim. I think Dad would be happy. He wouldn’t want me to be alone.”
She went on to tell me that she and Jim had a lot of fun together. “He picks me up and takes me out to dinner,” she said, “then we go out dancing. He loves to dance. We haven’t been lately, because it’s been winter and they don’t have the dances in the winter, but they’re starting again tonight and we’re going.”
I smiled and nodded, knowing there was nothing to be gained by reminding her that Jim lived two rooms up from her in the locked wing of the memory care facility that is their home.
As I was getting ready to leave, Jim came in and sat on the bed beside her. Immediately, it was like the two of them were in their own little world. Their backs were to me and they were leaning into each other whispering. At one point, she snuggled into him and gave him a hug.
As they chatted and giggled like a couple of kids, he looked at her wrist and said, “You’re wearing two watches.” She said, “I know, I’ll be damned if I know where this one came from,” to which he replied, “It’s mine, I was wondering where I left it!”
On a recent visit, I found my mom in the beauty parlor getting her hair styled. She said she had a date that night with Jim so she wanted to look pretty. She was in rare form, singing “You Made Me Love You” and bopping around in the chair.
I noticed she had on two watches and asked her about it. She said “Oh, this one is Jim’s. He said he didn’t have a ring for me, so he asked me to wear his watch.”
After she got her hair fixed, we went back to her room to visit. She asked me about Dad (multiple times) and I told her he was gone. The last time she said, “Well, I thought he was, he used to visit me every day. He was a sweetie. I miss him. We had a damned good life together. Now I have Jim. I think Dad would be happy. He wouldn’t want me to be alone.”
She went on to tell me that she and Jim had a lot of fun together. “He picks me up and takes me out to dinner,” she said, “then we go out dancing. He loves to dance. We haven’t been lately, because it’s been winter and they don’t have the dances in the winter, but they’re starting again tonight and we’re going.”
I smiled and nodded, knowing there was nothing to be gained by reminding her that Jim lived two rooms up from her in the locked wing of the memory care facility that is their home.
As I was getting ready to leave, Jim came in and sat on the bed beside her. Immediately, it was like the two of them were in their own little world. Their backs were to me and they were leaning into each other whispering. At one point, she snuggled into him and gave him a hug.
As they chatted and giggled like a couple of kids, he looked at her wrist and said, “You’re wearing two watches.” She said, “I know, I’ll be damned if I know where this one came from,” to which he replied, “It’s mine, I was wondering where I left it!”