I had never known anyone with Alzheimer’s Disease until I talked with my friend Jerry.
We had known each other for years, through volunteer work. He was old enough to be my father. We got along well. I was just touching base with him after not seeing him for a while.
The phone conversation was going along normally. And then out of the blue, he asked,
“Who’s that guy in Rome?”
“Um – the Pope?” I mumbled reluctantly. Certainly he must remember this man.
“Yes. Thank you,” he replied matter-of-factly.
I knew then that he had Alzheimer’s. I did not suggest to him that he might be afflicted with it. But I knew his wife was a nurse, and that she certainly would have noticed these unfortunate slips of memory.
As the years went on, and as the situation got worse, his wife told me that he would follow her around the house, ambling after her in somewhat of a daze. Eventually, I attended his funeral and met his four children.
In his volunteer work, Jerry would show up every week to counsel distraught women. The women would approach the clinic and he would greet each one with a polite tip of the hat and a “good morning.” Just a small sign of his gentlemanly character.
An unassuming man, Jerry did not take offense, even when you would expect it. One of those faithful persons who keeps doing good things. He was a quiet man, and did not clamor for attention.
Fame is deceptive
The young seek fame or riches. But those who have acquired wisdom know what is of real value in life.
Many seek fame. But a century ago, Bishop Spaulding said, “… fame is good only in so far as it gives power for good. For the rest, it is nominal. They who have deserved it care not for it. A great soul is above all [the] praise and dispraise of men….”
In other words, greatness of soul is not affected by the praise or disapproval of others. And it is not always rewarded in this life by a healthy mind throughout one’s life.
PS: What can you say about Jerry’s life? Make a comment on our Help My Senior Facebook page.