True confession time: 2015 has not been a stellar year for me in terms of anxiety, more specifically, my angst around Alzheimer’s. My once mild, self-involved preoccupation with developing the disease ramped up to high gear this winter after both my parents were diagnosed with dementia. I’m not actually worried about inheriting the disease—the genetic link has not been proven … Read More
On death, decline and elder orphans
Twelve years ago, soon after my younger brother unexpectedly died, my father pressed me about my future burial plans. I felt clammy and tight and above all irritated: not even 40 then, I was too young to think about the details of my death. I refused to answer him and pushed the thoughts and uncomfortable feelings aside. These days, I’m … Read More
Beyond coffee and red wine
Grace had always been what you might call a traditional woman in a traditional sort of marriage. So the day she stood in the living room, a carving knife raised in her hand, yelling obscenities at her husband of 50 years, her family knew something was terribly wrong. And what was wrong was dementia. Grace was my best friend’s mother, … Read More