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A friend of ours passed from this life recently, but in the brief time we had the privilege of bringing dementia specialist care for him while bringing respite and relief for his wife, we took note of his life.

The man we got to know was markedly impacted by dementia and previous head injuries that likely contributed to the onset and progression of the symptoms of dementia.  He struggled with most everything and had limited capability, yet that did not matter to us.

We learned that he was a cross-country runner in college and a long-time runner.  So, we shared about our own running and engaged him in articles and videos about running.  We enjoyed learning about the fastest runners, distance runners, and running stories alongside him.

We learned that he had earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and had a rich professional life in the food industry.  So we talked about science and shared interesting articles we had come across that highlighted tidbits of information.  We learned a bit, as we enjoyed the topic with him.

We learned that he was from a Midwestern state, so we brought interesting stories about his Alma Mater, and how they may or may not have won their most recent football game.

You see, his level of ability did not matter.  What mattered was that we got to know him, his history, and his life.  What mattered is that we personalized his care to match his interests, care that was engaging and interesting…for him and for us.

Rest in peace, friend.  Your life mattered.

Reflecting,

Jill