July 29, 2025
Dear Dementia,
Sometimes we act like you are the only event in life that takes something from us. That causes rifts in families, death of dreams, and requires us to carry suffering. So many other life events do the exact same thing, sometimes with an even more dramatic flare. We need to remember this when we find ourselves blaming you for all our pain.
It is hard when losses collide, when a series of life events bringing devastation occur at once. When you are present for this collision, it does at a layer of difficulty and wonder. We, if we have even a smidge of compassion, worry about the impact on our loved ones living with you. We wonder what they are thinking and sometimes are afraid to ask. We worry about how this might make our journey with you worse. Or, better? Is that possible?
Loss is part of life, and you are far from the only reason something or someone exits our lives. May we remember this next time we try to use you as our scapegoat.
Until tomorrow,
Kate
