And it's the same face, Your heart keeps breaking in the same place
"By locating our consciousness in only one biological oscillator, the brain, we have blinded ourselves to perceptions that have been common to human beings since they emerged from this Earth. In gaining a reductionist understanding of the world, we lost touch with the essential nature of the Earth and ourselves… How much of life have I wasted by believing the thing I was taught, that thinking is what makes us better, that the brain is superior to the heart." -- Stephen Harrod Buhner⠀
Stumbled upon this quote recently and appreciated how much it resonated with this #alzheimers journey--how much we associate someone's worth with the capability of their mind. But there is so much more to a person than that, so much more meaning. In the years since my mother's been sick, I've had to find different ways to find ways to connect to her. Ultimately, throughout the different stages and changes, it always boils down to being able to show love, the ultimate heart connection.
This photo is from a few years ago, when I thought we surely were at the end of this long goodbye. How could there possibly be more to lose? How much longer could she hang on for after that point?
But she lives on, and I continue to marvel at the resilience of the body--and the heart--and how they can stretch far beyond what we can even dream. I have also come to understand and appreciate the lessons she continues to teach me, even if our relationship and way of communicating doesn't look the same as it did. And while it's not something I'm always willing to accept, I am coming to terms with the fact that despite the circumstances of this dogshit disease, there is still so much love to give and receive despite--and because of it.
#earlyonsetalzheimers #alzheimersdisease #endalz #endthestigma #earlyonsetalz #earlyonsetalzheimersdisease #caregiver #caregiversupport #caregiving #daughterlove #dementia #dementiaawareness #alzheimersawareness #daughterofdementia #grief #grieving #griefwriting #love #deathpositivity