Today, I met with Nancy* and her family for the first time after winter break! We sat and talked about how my break was. Nancy loved it when I showed her pictures with my family, and she remarked that my brother was very cute. This visit, I spoke a lot about my family and how much I loved spending time with them. I think Nancy was able to relate, and she really enjoyed listening to me talk about my break.
From the pictures, I also got a glimpse into her life. She spoke more about her son and their relationship. Of course, I only got a facet of it, but it was interesting to hear all the same. It’s clear that there are some gaps in her memory due to her dementia. However, her niece, who used to live with her, filled in some of those puzzle pieces.
Today was a calm visits, and it was good to see that Nancy was doing well. She had a good holidays, and didn’t have to be out in the snow. I showed her a picture, below, of the stack of snow on my Michigan porch. She laughed and said that she was glad she didn’t have to deal with that. I parted ways with her with warm hugs and kisses from her.
*Names changed for privacy.
- Ellen Zhang