So very proud of her for organizing Urbana's first "senior-senior" prom last month along with the fundraising recital for Alzheimer's. The dance this group did told the story of a couple, where the man became the caretaker of the wife as she lost her memory to the disease. Several couples danced different parts to represent the progression of the relationship and the disease. Last night I saw it performed one last time at her final recital, and again it brought me to tears. I sat next to my parents hoping they never go through this, as they have endured almost 51 years married and are going strong. I hope my mother's only tears were those last night as she watched and pondered, and that it is never her reality.
It makes me think about how we measure comprehension too, kind of random here, but if you gave her a multiple choice test about Alzheimer's she would struggle, but representing it through art based on research she flourished, and she won't forget it. The irony isn't lost...and I hope we can all be this strong if that is the card we are dealt in life.
