Dorothy is on the left in the picture above. She was my grandma.
During my childhood and most of my teens, Grandma was my person, the one to whom I felt most connected. For years I wrote weekly letters to her; and for many of those years she wrote back, until arthritis and then dementia robbed her of that skill. Memory changes began at ninety and progressed slowly for nearly a decade.
A few months after she turned 98, Grandma looked at me and said, “I don’t know who you are, but I know I love you and you love me.” What a precious moment! She died a few months after the photo below was taken on her 99th birthday. She was a wonder!
She is in there, still
Although sometimes
Young again
Her memories and moments
Dance together
Creating new realities
For her and us
I am you—you are me—we are she—
Connected by love
Shared experiences
And synaptic innacuracies
As she shrinks
The enormity of her influence
Grows more apparent
But then
We always knew
We were in the presence
Of greatness
Listen to me read Alzheimer’s 98 👆