That sparkle
Mother sitting at my desk in my room at home, Winter 1982, shortly before I finally left the nest for good.
This photo is special to me because it is the last picture I have of Mom before dementia began to dim the spark of life in her eyes. Although it would be another 3 years before the obvious behavioral symptoms appeared, if I look back now at photos from that interim period, the increasing 'blankness' in her facial expression is evident. Dad never said a word about the changes in Mom until just before his death, but by then, the strong, dynamic spirit we'd both known and loved had already departed.
It's a terrible thing to mourn someone's passing while their physical body is still living, but that's one of the many curses of dementia.
This is the Mom I prefer to remember on this Mothers Day. ❤️
This photo is special to me because it is the last picture I have of Mom before dementia began to dim the spark of life in her eyes. Although it would be another 3 years before the obvious behavioral symptoms appeared, if I look back now at photos from that interim period, the increasing 'blankness' in her facial expression is evident. Dad never said a word about the changes in Mom until just before his death, but by then, the strong, dynamic spirit we'd both known and loved had already departed.
It's a terrible thing to mourn someone's passing while their physical body is still living, but that's one of the many curses of dementia.
This is the Mom I prefer to remember on this Mothers Day. ❤️