Listmates,
I've been thinking about my mom and my step-dad - hereafter referred to as dad - a lot here lately. My dad passed away five years ago this month. It doesn't seem possible that it could have been that long ago. I thought of the love that mom and dad had for each other and for their children. Back in 1991, when we were first talking to dad about the possibility of mom having Alzheimers, he was telling us some of the things that were happening to them and some of mom's statements and actions. He told us that he had been thinking that mom might indeed have Alzheimers. He then made a statement to us - my wife, myself and my sister who were all there with him that weekend - that spoke volumes about his character. He said, "No matter what, I'm in it for the long haul." And he was. Later I learned much about what he went through in taking care of mom, and after his death, when we brought mom home to live with us, I gained a new and deeper appreciation for him. He literally sacrificed his life for hers. They had been married just over 47 years when he passed away at the age of 71. I wrote this poem in a way as a tribute to him. I would also like to make this a tribute to you on the List who are spouses caring for an AD spouse. Dad took care of mom because he loved her. And for that reason, he committed his life to caring for her, indeed for better, and for worse. His love for her was indeed A Circle Unending.
Jerry