“Where is he?” She was frustrated and furious. She didn’t know where he was. Her husband hadn’t called. He hadn’t written her a letter. And he had been dead since I was in kindergarten.
I was 21. My grandmother was 90. Time corroded her mind and eroded her memories.
Country music legend Glen Campbell has fallen victim to the same corrosion of the mind. Moments ago I finished watching a screening of a 2 hour documentary following Glen, his wife, his children and his band on his farewell tour.
This film needed to be made. If you are a caregiver to someone with this disease, it was made for you.
exposes the darkness of the disease
How painful to watch the strength of mind and man shrink before your eyes. Alzheimer’s isn’t just inconvenient or burdensome. It is a thief that comes into the most sacred places of your consciousness and steals your most treasured memories. It leaves destruction, heartbreak and depression. It leaves you feeling like a child alone in the dark.
being vulnerable is not weak
Sometimes we get used to putting on a show. We get used to covering our imperfections. We feel safe hiding behind well constructed false fronts. But that’s not real strength. Pulling it together only to fall apart isn’t real courage. Showing people when you are falling apart is genuine, raw and real strength incarnate.
reveals the triumph of love
“I love you.” I love you when you can’t remember what year it is. I love you when you can’t remember what day it is. I love you when you can’t remember my name. Love means I will stick with you. Love endures. And every time, Love wins.
family still matters
Surrounding our fading and falling family members still matters. It still happens. It still softens the calamity. It still honors the legacy and life, not just of the ill, but of the Sustainer of their soul. Family still matters.
music is the language of the soul
“I will praise the name of God with a song” Psalm 69:30
Music is the language of the soul. It is the language of the divine. It is the sweet-smelling savor that rises to the Creator of melodies. And as the lights on the stage of Glen Campbell’s life dim, his music endures. When sentences tie knots in his brain, when his words fail, music, as God created, refuses to take a bow.
The last months with my grandmother shaped me as much as my first twenty years with her. She showed me her brokenness. She showed me her strength. She showed me her God. She loved me until the end. And I love her to this day.
I want to honor those of you who are in the trenches of caring for a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s. Flyby Promotions is offering a free 5 song EP soundtrack from the film, I’ll Be Me.
Here’s what you do. If you are a caregiver or you know one. In a few sentences, please tell me why you do it and what you are learning through this season. Post in the comments section below. I will select one winner on Friday, Oct. 24.
“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
