I read a lot about Alzheimer’s and dementia. A lot. Still, every now and then I come across something that grabs hold of me and won’t let go, because it reads exactly – and I mean exactly – like my own experience. Despite the fact that I tell people all the time, “we’re in this together” and “what you’re feeling is normal,” I sometimes forget those things apply to me, too!

Tonight, I read one of the most poignant essays I’ve ever seen discussing a topic that’s very close to my heart. In fact, it’s the subject of my contribution (Learning Acceptance) to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living With Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias.

In his piece for Maria Shriver’s blog, Dr. Daniel C. Potts writes about reaching a point of acceptance – realizing that your loved one as you once knew them is gone, but their core remains very much intact. Always. Even dementia can’t strip them of their essence. It simply cannot.  Continue reading →