I call my mother each day at 4:30 to remind her to take her pills. Each time we talk she seems to be vanishing in memories. Sometimes I am a different brother and she wonders when I will be coming up to visit. Sometimes she will tell me stories of the past, when she was a child giving me all the details. Yesterday she asked me how many kids I had. When I told her I have seven, she said what were you thinking. Each day it’s like talking to a new person.
My Father was a lot younger when his memories were vanishing. They also gave his drugs for some of his illnesses. He was funny, one time he was telling me the paintings in the living room come to life at times. I said really tell me more about that picture. He would say you see how the people are moving and they are singing German songs. As I listened to his story, I figured out he was reliving memories of being at that very place years before.
Then there was my Father in Law. He would often take movies and change the story and place my kids in the story. There was this one time he told someone about how the kids found money in the attic and were spending the money on toys. He gave a ton of details, so this person believed it was true. She came to me and was concerned. As I listened to the story, I said, yes I remember that movie. I watched it with him just the other night while feeding him.
The one thing I find in common with people with vanishing memories is they remember the past in great detail. I enjoy listening to their stories about the past and their youth. You can see a smile on their faces as they remember joyful times. I have learned to shift my conversations with my mother to the past. Discussing other topics seems to confuse her and you can see it upsets her.
You could say it’s sad how the mind vanishes, but it’s also amazing how the mind brings up so many joyful times from the past. I see it as a lesson to learn, focus on the joyful events and let everything else go. What a great concept only discussing joy and love, hmmmm. Thank you Mom for sharing all your wonderful memories. Now go out and enjoy life and when you meet someone with vanishing memory just focus on joy and love.
Much Love and Joy to you and yours
My Father was a lot younger when his memories were vanishing. They also gave his drugs for some of his illnesses. He was funny, one time he was telling me the paintings in the living room come to life at times. I said really tell me more about that picture. He would say you see how the people are moving and they are singing German songs. As I listened to his story, I figured out he was reliving memories of being at that very place years before.
Then there was my Father in Law. He would often take movies and change the story and place my kids in the story. There was this one time he told someone about how the kids found money in the attic and were spending the money on toys. He gave a ton of details, so this person believed it was true. She came to me and was concerned. As I listened to the story, I said, yes I remember that movie. I watched it with him just the other night while feeding him.
The one thing I find in common with people with vanishing memories is they remember the past in great detail. I enjoy listening to their stories about the past and their youth. You can see a smile on their faces as they remember joyful times. I have learned to shift my conversations with my mother to the past. Discussing other topics seems to confuse her and you can see it upsets her.
You could say it’s sad how the mind vanishes, but it’s also amazing how the mind brings up so many joyful times from the past. I see it as a lesson to learn, focus on the joyful events and let everything else go. What a great concept only discussing joy and love, hmmmm. Thank you Mom for sharing all your wonderful memories. Now go out and enjoy life and when you meet someone with vanishing memory just focus on joy and love.
Much Love and Joy to you and yours
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