Today I stopped in to visit a woman who suffers from advanced dementia. She lives in a nursing home that can only be described as old and shabby. She walked down the hallway coming toward me.
One moment she wandered aimlessly, wearing her questions and anxiety like the dirty sweater she refuses to take off or let go of. The next moment, everything changed. I greeted her by name. I looked at her closely, genuinely, and told her it was good to see her. Her eyes searched for recognition, her face relaxed, and her face lit up like sunshine, gushing with gratitude for my visit.
Due to the dementia, this lady’s current frame of reference is some time long ago. But she very graciously allowed me into her memory. Convinced we were good friends, she lamented how long it had been since we had last seen each other. Then she thanked me, and she had a truly happy afternoon.
