When we look at the person before us, we may ask: Who is this? Is it still the woman I love? Is it still the man who always knew best when I needed a beautiful bouquette of flowers? The answer is yes, that person is still there. But perhaps we need to ask a few questions so as to gain perspective on the matter. Our brain is responsible for organizing and maintaining so much of our lives. Billions of threads weave together to form memories, criss-crossing over one another to create ideas and concepts. Our own identity, that is, who we are, how we are, when we are, what we are and where we are, is held together by this threaded quilt within our brain.
Throughout our lives, we accumulate without rest, an interwoven network of ideas and images that shape our very expectations, our judgements, thoughts, the way we think and even who we think we are. And as we accumulate these ideas, these concepts of structural identity, we create a materpiece of individuality as new synapses and bridges form within our brains. Thus, a puzzling question may arise: Is what I think I am truly what I am? Or phrased differently: Am I really what I think I am? For are these ideas not a result of the outside world along with all the environmental stimulation we received? Are we created by our environment or are we simply molded by it? When we truly delve deep into this question, we may discover that there may be more to us than we think, for when the disease we have come to know as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia begin to pluck away at our valuable threads until there remains hardly any memory, thought or idea of who and what we thought we were, what remains? What remains? I believe that the very nature of this world has no choice but always to display a silver lining. Even between the darkest of clouds, diseases and sicknesses. It is this silver lining that may be very valuable and beneficial to those who are ready for it’s messages:
When AD and other forms of Dementia have feasted long enough on those silver threads, what remains? Is there still life? Love? Existence?
While the person you have come to know, may have his/her identity swept away, is there something that remains? A puzzling question. Could it be that in this world, the only things that keep us alive are the identity we think ourselves to be and the body that responds to these images. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye. Perhaps we struggle to perceive the sole essence of those we care for so much. If you have been touched by these diseases in a personal way, ask yourself these questions and you may be sure to find a calm, peaceful presence within your heart.
For the truth is, we have more than just our brains. We have beating hearts which have been shown to be able to store memories too. But what is it that keeps our hearts beating? Is it the drive of motivation that keeps us alive, the thunder of purpose? Or is there more? These are the type of questions which may shed some light on your path, because perhaps… just perhaps… we are more than we think we are.
May beauty and love follow you wherever you go. Blessings from the Jura Care Team.
(The above photo is of Uncle AT, one of our residents, and a beautiful 1 week old lamb at the Jura Care Village)
When you love someone truly, one loves them in sickness and in health. Whatever illness may cross your or their path, it does not alter the person behind the illness. The latter, dementia, will likely ‘change’ the persons attitude, their abilities, their interactions with others which, in turn, may cause them to be unable to control these changes – but that is caused by the illness – not the person themselves.
We need to carefully seek out the person in that Silver Lining, and treat them as precious Gold.
Blessings to Jura Care Group. Romi and Peter
My mom’s Alzheimers is difficult to deal with. She is bedridden and can barely communicate. In her own way she reaches out to us. I know it. I love spending time with her. She teaches me a lot. So glad she is still in my life.