“Still A Diva”
My mom, who has Alzheimer’s and is in hospice care, finds it hard to voice her thoughts. A couple of days ago during our daily visits, she looked at me with intensity and I suddenly caught a glimpse of her younger self. I knew she wanted to say something, and when she finally did, she regally uttered these words. “You understand that I was not born for this.”
“No, Mom,” I replied, “No one is born for this.”
Much research is being done to understand the causes and to search for the cure, but until then, we all need to remember that no one is born to end up this way, just as no one is born to suffer from any of the other countless incurable diseases. And most importantly, we must remember that somewhere inside all Alzheimer’s patients resides the person that they used to be. Their abilities and circumstances may have changed, but their essence remains. In my mom’s case, it is her diva attitude!
