I think that after 10 months of being “home” I can finally say that we are “settled.”  It’s been amazing to be back in the west and have the mountains in view every morning as the sun rises.  There’s beauty in the sunrise and beauty in the sunset.  I love the colors and the mountain as it transitions from season to season.

The leaves are changing color – and every time the wind blows, there’s a flurry of fluttering leaves that fall to the ground in every yard.

Alzheimer’s reminds me of the changing seasons.  While Mom’s memory and physical being continue to fade, her smile and gentle spirit hasn’t faded.  She enjoys conversation, but rarely joins in as the language that she once had command of becomes less available some days.

There are days, however, where she is outspoken, in command and can throw a few zingers out that are right there with the best of them.  She laughs, smiles and even requests to watch certain old shows from days gone by with stars she remembers from long ago…

She gives me oodles of opportunities to serve and honor the mother/daughter relationship that continues to grow every day.  We are continuing to find ways to communicate using language based on love and honoring the gifts she presented to us in our youth and we can now shower that same love and the treasured gifts on her in her aging.

Mom is settled — she is happy and thriving as best you can be at 84 and having Alzheimer’s. She no longer asks who sleeps in this room (hers) or is this my bed?  She has her good days and thankfully, they are more numerous than the bad days.  She enjoys our monthly family gathering time and marvels at how our extended family has grown – expanded beyond the grands into great grands.

Enjoy all the “settled” moments you can.