Sometimes you stumble across a thought you scribbled years ago, or a photo stashed away in a file – and seeing it again, you realise you only half-understood it at the time. Suddenly now, you see its real significance.
Google helpfully reminded me today of this photo. I took it many years ago, when Lena’s Alzheimer’s was just a faint whisper in my ear. I remember the morning so well. It was a Sunday, just a couple of days after the two of us had been at the London Olympics. The weather had been beautiful for days, so we’d decided to get up really early — before sunrise — and take the two-mile walk to the lake. What a perfect place for breakfast!
How could we have known that before long, dementia would fence us in, denying us our freedom and precious shared adventures like this?
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Today I’m standing at the lakeside alone, in the shadows. But it’s a new dawn and the opposite bank over there is already bathed in sunlight. Can I get there? There are no obstacles in my way now, but can I still fly across the water like I used to? It’s been a long time since I was able to spread my wings. But there’s a voice right next to me.
— Of course you can. Why not?
And then there was that plan of mine — The Care Combine. I wanted to help the millions of people feeling shut in by age or illness — just like we were — to get back their freedom too. To put sunshine back into their lives. I haven’t worked on the plan for years. Is it too late now?
— I thought it was a good plan. So when will you start?
2 responses
It’s always good to have a plan, something to look forward to. Your plan was such a good one so it deserves to be taken out of the cupboard again. And if you feel it will give you a purpose and meaning to life all the better, so just go for it. From what I have heard and understood of your previous engagement and ideas about caretaking I hope someone will really listen and do something this time. I know that the whole society would benefit from hearing what you have to say. There is no time like now … so why not..
Thank you Åsa, for this and for your support in Stockholm last week. Yes, it’s time to get started again. People were beginning to listen last time, and I was beginning to get offers of substantial help for The Care Combine. But it was just the wrong time for me — in our circumstances at that time. So now it’s time to roll up the sleeves and start again. At least to put the ideas out there and see whether it’s possible to build a team. Starts this week.