Gratitude

Saturday, Lyn had a very good birthday and we are grateful to the community of people who made that happen.  It was a series of little things that made her day.  It was our uncle who came over and ate cake with her.  It was the folks at church who invited Lyn to carry the cross during the processionals.  It was the church choir who sang Happy Birthday and the priest who called her up for a special blessing at the end of Mass.  It was the waiter at one of her favorite restaurants who brought her an ice cream sunday with a lit candle.  While Lyn was disappointed that her respite provider was unavailable for the day due to a death in the family, she allowed herself to enjoy the attention paid to her.

As I contemplated what to write for today's post, I came across a post for NPR's 13.7 science blog by Barbara J. King called "Joining the Dementia Network, and Finding Gratitude."  What she writes is strikingly familiar despite the differences between her mother and my sister.  The piece is worth the read.  For me, the best part is the final paragraph which just rings true to me.

"And, my mother is with us. She's a person who matters for who she is now. She thinks about the world and the events and people in it; she gives love and feels love. I'm thankful for my mother."

I know this feeling.  Even before my sister was diagnosed with dementia, I felt it.  "She's a person who matters for who she is now."