Do You Take Photos of Your Alzheimer’s Family Member?
September 5, 2008 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
“NO WAY!” you say. “I don’t want to remember them with Alzheimer’s.”
I might have thought this, if I’d taken time to think about it. However, now I’m glad I did take those photos, not necessarily of Mother and Auntie alone, but with other family members on special occasions.
As I’ve had time to reflect, over the six years since Mother died and even more since Auntie’s death, I realize this period of Mother’s life is the only one in which my grandchildren (her great grands) knew her. They enoyed visiting her at the nursing home and interacting with this elderly lady.
When they reminisce about these times, it’s not with sadness, but with joy and laughter. I have no right to take these memories away from them because I might not like to see photos of these occasions. So I’ve put them into an album, Mother With Love, so we all can reminisce.
In most of the photos Mother was smiling, surrounded by family and friends. Even though she progressively grew older (d0n’t we all?!), she was still Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother to us and held a special place in our lives, one we don’t want to forget.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
Very nice take… just because someone has Alzheimer’s and changes from who they were, it does not change the fact that they still ARE with us and impact us on a day to day basis.