I have a dear friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
She’s young, vibrant, funny, and a hopeless optimist. She is a genuine and
faithful friend who has stood by me whole-heartedly and without reserve. One of
my current book projects is, in fact, her idea. We cried together when she told
me the news of her diagnosis, and we vowed to not treat each other differently.
This is a complicated promise since things are and will forever be different.
But the point she and I are stressing is to continue to relate to each other’s inner
beings, and not based on outside conditions or symptoms that plague us.
21-mo-old Elena showing her sense of humor, 2012
One of her greatest gifts to me is
humor. One day as we discussed the book idea and how to implement it, she
grinned, "You know, Maria, I think people like me and with dementia are a great market for
your book. They can keep reading it over and over, and continue to be surprised
by your brilliance—we'll never remember we already read it!”
From loosing weight to helping
blood vessels function better, scientists have been touting for years the
healing power of laughter. Laughing, we are told, no matter what causes it,
boosts your immune system, eases muscle tension and generally makes you feel
better. [Check out a complete list of benefits here!]
What a thoughtful, post, Maria. God bless you and your friend.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Elena is beautiful and I can't wait to see that new book you're working on!
Thanks, Donna! I appreciate you "dropping by" :-)
ReplyDelete