Bittersweet Birthday

N00dles

It's my birthday today. I've had a good day: my husband made me breakfast and coffee to take to work and had a present for me when I got home; I heard from my mom, my 3 siblings, and had lots of FB messages and texts. My husband and I had a lovely outing yesterday in the big city near us.

It's also the first in my life where I did not hear from my dad; he is in memory care. I know he used to love me. I know he still somewhat knows me. My mom wasn't visiting with him today, otherwise she would've called me while with him. I live several states away from my parents so I do not get to visit in person often.

Just wanted to share.

Happy New Year's Eve Eve

lizzyt

Happy Birthday! Glad you had a good day! I can totally relate. My mom would always call me and sing happy Birthday, she would bake me a cake and send me a card. I went to the memory care facility she lives at and sat with her for a couple hours on my birthday this year. Sure miss those calls.

SusanB-dil

Happy Birthday!

Dad loved you before 'this', so be assured he still does. Just that 'this' isn't him any more. Hope that makes sense. (If he didn't have 'this', you know he loves you)

Agree - glad you've had a good day.

psg712

Happy birthday. It's hard when our parents, the ones who were there on the day we were born and who celebrated that day with us every year, lose their awareness of this special day that ties us together.

One of the first incidents that brought home the emotional impact for me of my mom's dementia was helping her to look up a phone number in her handwritten address book. She turned pages to my name, address and phone number. Also had my birthdate written there. She pointed at it and said, "I don't know what this number is for." The date she first became a mother. That was a tough moment for me.