"Remember, you are still my sweetheart and I love you"

Recently Bruce and I traveled from MN to WA to help Bruce's brother Gary move his dad to a studio apartment.  My mother in law had recently been transferred to a special facility for people with dementia and alzheimers.  Dad is a short little man, bright and still witty at 98.

We visited mom one day.  She greeted us with a smile and a hug, asked me to stay for a few days...then seemed to drift off.  She is deaf, so it was very hard to communicate.  None of us were real sure she knew us.  I remembered her as a vibrant, active, family-oriented woman.  A strong Mormon, a great cook, well-dressed and always in great shape.  She didn't look much different, except for her lack of communication.

A day later, after we moved dad (with brother in law Richard's help), placed pictures on the walls and organized him for comfort and safety, we all went back to visit mom .  I took a paper and pen and wrote who we were.  She smiled broadly... pointing us out to a worker by name.  Later she pointed to Bruce and explained to a fellow resident, "That's Gary, he is just back from his mission a couple weeks ago".   Most of her sentences were disjointed and did not make sense.  We sat there for perhaps 40 minutes talking, but not understanding most of what she was saying.

As we went to leave, dad hugged her close and said in her ear several times, "Remember, you are still my sweetheart and I love you".

I quickly left the room with my brother in law Gary behind me.  I broke into gut-wrenching sobs.