Your're Just Too Big!

Again, thank-you for the cards. The beautiful butterfly card that Mom got from Sonya yesterday evoked some discussion and a small, sad reality. It was addressed inside to Aunt Marge which took us to a new area of what Mom does not remember. We talked about her family and I told her all of her sisters and brother’s names and where they live and as much as I could remember about where all of the cousins are. I told her how she knew Sonya and the girls and how we had gone to Kim’s wedding in New York. We talked about her nieces and nephews and different events and she was sure that if she could see them, she would know who they are. Mom wondered how I knew “all that” about where her family is so I assured her that ya’ll (sorry Erin) haven’t moved in many years and the notes she is getting has your return address on them. Mom was visibly disturbed at the reality she is facing – more and more of her memory is slipping away. Mom has been in major denial about this up until 4 or 5 months ago. She has been able to accept that she has a “memory problem” and last night we talked a little more about it and called it Alzheimer’s, for which there is no cure. That was the sad reality. I continued to assure her that it was really okay that she did not remember all of those people and it could be enough to know that they remember her. I suggested that we would be okay unless my memory problem got worse. She added laughingly that Joe would have his hands full if that happened! Mom also pronounced her family “just too big!”