After Three Years: A Caregiver’s Reflection on Love and Dementia

We learned to love and live with the one who met our dreams
We thrived on becoming and remaining intertwined
We were inspired by our family and our future
Life was whole when joy and trust and hope ruled

Alzheimer’s appeared, and the prognosis was shattering,
but the love and commitment endured
The march of time threatened the bond, as our dreams
succumbed to the ravages of the disease
Differences mounted, but love would not let go

Slowly, with withering social awareness and failing logic,
thoughts wandered toward then and now
Heartbreak took its toll
Life as we knew it was no longer possible
And the future we hoped for disappeared

Anger has no place, so despair became an option
As we fight for the love that has been at our core,
we think, where will it go from here?
More heartbreaks loom, but the answer remains - elusive.
Life is harder than we have ever known,
But love hangs on