One more time

Just thought I'd drop in to say "Hi", and share a little story about what's been going on with me. Seventeen days will mark four years since DW passed. Yes, there is life after dementia. Following is a little story some may find worth reading.

Feel free to skip this post anytime. I'm not even sure why I'm sharing it.

About a six weeks or so ago, I took two of my daughters to Whiting, IN to show them what I grew up with. Anyhow, I'm an 88 year old man, and I pointed out a place at the Community Center where I would meet a girl I went to school with. To say that our talks would at times last for over an hour would be accurate. We were both seniors in high school, and I'm pretty sure she was engaged, to be married sometime after school was over, so there was nothing romantic with us. Just real good friends.

It's been 71 years since I've talked to her, and one of my daughters suggested that I try to get in touch with her again. Even though her name changed, I knew who she was going to marry, so I had something to go on. After about two weeks of searching for her, I found an obit for her husband. When I read it, it said he was survived by his wife (but it was not her), and two sons., with their general locations listed. But the obit was from 2004, so I had no idea if it would even be possible to get in touch with them. I wrote a letter to an address I found in N Las Vegas, but didn't know if it was current. After maybe two weeks, I found that the other son worked for the city of Whiting. With a little luck, I was able to get his phone number (again, I didn't know if it was current). So I called, leaving a message because there was no answer. I explained who I was, and that I would like to talk to his mother one more time, if possible. He actually called me back!

His mother, with dementia, is in long term care in Florida, and he was going to visit her soon. He and his brother meet there to handle whatever needed to be done each year.

So he went there, and told his mother about me. She didn't remember me, but that's OK. She wrote a whole page in my yearbook, which I still have, so I took a pic of that page, and sent it to him. He said he would read it to her, in hopes of bringing back a memory.

Then I actually got to talk to her again! Still not sure if she remembers me, but she was very upbeat and enthusiastic when speaking to me, I was surprised that her voice was as strong as mine (very good), and I think I made her feel special for at least a few minutes. I'm so glad I took the time to find her, and I would encourage others to do the same.

As always, I think of you often, and I hope your trials have become a little easier. You're all heroes!