My 79 year old Mother, Henrietta, has significant memory loss.  Her Dr. has used the words dementia and Alzheimer’s to describe her condition – both scary words that my sister and I do not use in Mother’s presence.

 

I have become my parent’s “parent.”  It is an odd shift of role reversal, one that is confusing and, at times, difficult for both of us.  But as I gently guide my Mother to select a new dress or pick an entrée while dining out, I realize that her decision making ability has simply disappeared.  Her mantra is “I’ll ask my Daughter.”  I’m grateful for the confidence so lovingly bestowed, but find the transition fraught with emotion – sadness, anxiety, frustration and the lingering doubt that I know how to do this well.