Alzheimer's Daughter by Jean Lee: January 2014

The Story

Alzheimer’s Daughter introduces the reader to my healthy parents, Ed and Ibby, years before their diagnosis, then recounts painful details as our roles reversed and I became my parents’ parent.

Their disease started as translucent, confused thoughts and ended in a locked memory care unit after a near decade of descent into the opaque world of Alzheimer's.

I began writing Alzheimer’s Daughter one week after my mother's death––when I was stunned, realizing Dad had no memory of her or their 66-year marriage.

I write to pay tribute to the undying spirit at Ed and Ibby's core, and with the hope that the story of their parallel decline might be helpful to others.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Sneaking a Peek

Seeing a vivid red cardinal against the winter white or the summer green always makes my heart flutter. If we look closely, we often see the muted female nearby the protective male.

I've heard many say that the sight or song of a bird brings the brush of the spirit of a deceased loved one. I believe this to be true.

If you look closely in the upper right of this picture, a female cardinal can be spotted through the window. I believe it's my mom's spirit glimpsing in at her great-grandbabies. Maybe Dad will sneak a peek next.