“Just a Couple of Old People Holding Hands”:
A Memoir of a Marriage in Alzheimer’s WorldBy Carl R. Smith, Jr.
Edited by William C. Smith
For those of you who’ve just tuned in, what follows is an editorial preamble of my friend, Bill’s father’s journal. Carl’s journal chronicles the last years he spent with his beloved wife as Alzheimer’s ravaged her mind. Bill’s editorial sheds light on Carl and Mary Helen’s lives as only an intimate insider could. p.j.l 1.6.16
Post 6 – Presence and Absence
Carl spent a lot of time wrestling with the concepts of presence and absence — in his marriage to Mary Helen, and in their relationship with the family.
Throughout their retirement years in Maine, Carl and MH spent most hours of most days in each others’ company. To the family, they seemed virtually inseparable. They ate meals together, alternating cooking and dishwashing duties. In the afternoons, Dad would often nap while Mary Helen worked on one of her constant sewing or reupholstery projects. They spent their evenings together, reading books and trading sections of the New York Times. On Sundays, they shared a pew at St. Andrews, a small, rural Episcopal parish, and were both active in church and community activities.
Green Life Blue Water 
Hi thhanks for posting this
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Awesome, thanks as always. This has turned out to be a cathartic exercise to conclude 2015 and begin the Dadless year of 2016. I’m currently thinking one last regular post — on the cheery subject of “death and dying.” I could also do a final “postscript” post of my “remembrance” of Dad at his memorial service. Or not, if we think it seems better to conclude it with the focus on Dad’s marriage, rather than his whole life.
From: Green Life Blue Water To: smithbrackett@verizon.net Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2016 10:12 PM Subject: [New post] Just a Couple of Old People Holding Hands #yiv5248731540 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv5248731540 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv5248731540 a.yiv5248731540primaryactionlink:link, #yiv5248731540 a.yiv5248731540primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv5248731540 a.yiv5248731540primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv5248731540 a.yiv5248731540primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv5248731540 WordPress.com | pjlazos posted: ““Just a Couple of Old People Holding Hands”: A Memoir of a Marriage in Alzheimer’s WorldBy Carl R. Smith, Jr.Edited by William C. SmithFor those of you who’ve just tuned in, what follows is an editorial preamble of my friend, Bill’s father’s” | |
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I think a final wrap up will bring closure to you and the work so write on, baby!
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