The Memory

Why this post title?

This is me:

*Finding a great place to store something, and then not remembering where that great place is.

*“OK, class. Everybody spread out and find Mrs. E’s keys, phone (you name it).”

For the past few Christmas gift exchanges, the adults have drawn names and the gift has to be a consumable. In other words, no storing of gifts. It requires a little creativity. This year a collection of hot sauces and pellets for the Traeger, a gift certificate to a meat market, another for a manicure, even a bottle of wine and a voucher for air travel. 

L bent the “consumable” a little. She gave me a Tile for my keys. I can now use my phone to find my keys and the tile on my keys to find my phone. Pretty cool. I guess it will become a “consumable” if I can’t find either. *yikes!

I meant to post these pics from the extended family Christmas. (See. Forgetfulness again.)

4 Generations

Dad and Grandma B

Cousins

Kissing Great Grandpa goodbye

Siblings with Dad-- minus Little Sis

Hosts

Kids table

Leader of the pack

The Bug and Cousin Cam- he is so good with both of the girls.

I used to joke about my "Alzheimer's" kicking in. I don't any more. Grandma B is dealing with some pretty serious memory issues. It is hard watching her fail. The world she recognizes is growing smaller and smaller. 

Memory is tricky enough when we can't remember clearly or can't find something we just had in our hands. It is nothing compared to what those suffering from dementia go through. The only good thing is that those with memory loss don't completely know (or remember) what they have lost. It is probably hardest on the people watching them deteriorate. The spouse that has no one to talk to aside from a person who can't remember, and the kids whose parent may or may not recognize them. We've watched a family in Tiny Town whose Dad has very little recognition of his life or family. And Sweet Sister-In-Law watched her mom (now deceased) go through this for several years.

I am fortunate. I can laugh at my memory lapses. Besides the inconvenience of hunting for things, I can still teach and continue my role in relationships. I remember the Big Things. I might forget or confuse details of incidents in the past, or I might not remember a student who sat in my classroom 20 years ago, but a picture will jog my memory. I don't want to think about the day when that might not be enough.

In the meantime, 2018 will one day be a memory, too. And that is why one resolution is to write more. This blog is great for jogging my memory. And my memory could use a good workout.