Jane: Moving Forward by Going Backward

Sky said this to me the other day, “I’m moving forward by going backward. When will it be time for diapers?”

I took a breath and said, “We don’t need to think about that yet.”

Sky: Cast of Interesting Characters

I know they’re hallucinations. I really do. How else could you explain the Stairway to Heaven? You could describe what it looks like….

…….. an elegant sparkling walkway curving graciously up and out of sight into the quiet of the Vermont twilight.

Would it help to describe the people there?

Probably not, since any description would soon veer into the “unreal” with the number of people alone. In the meantime, the Stairway keeps steadily disgorging more people, just like the sidewalks of New York.

I want to tell you about these creatures.

Sky: Ha Ha Ha Lu Cin Ay Shuns

Jane: I think people would like to know about your Hallucinations. I would, anyway.

Sky: Well, it was a big surprise when they came to me. I didn’t really know what was going on. And there are different kinds of Hallucinations. The simplest kind is when I see something in a rock or a mountain or a cloud and say, “Oh, Look! There’s a dog and a puppy playing in the sky!”

The more complicated kind is when they move.

Sky: My Spiritual Life

Note from Jane: Sky and I recently attended the Dementia Action Alliance conference in Atlanta where we were co-presenters (with Linn Possell) of a workshop entitled, "Nurturing a Dementia-Friendly Spiritual Life." These are the words that Sky read at the beginning of the workshop.


What I believe…..a work in progress

Jane: We are What We "Do"?

The other day Sky said to me, “I can’t do anything anymore.” Of course, that isn’t true — there are lots of things he can still do. What he meant is “I can’t do many things that I used to be able to do easily and well,” like carpentry, gardening, reading, writing, crossword puzzles, board and card games.

We all learn how to do many different things in our lives. I remember vividly learning to read, learning to swim, learning to downhill ski, learning to ride a two-wheeled bike — none of them easy to learn, but oh so satisfying once I got the hang of it. My horizons opened up — so many books to read, lakes to swim in, mountains to glide down, and roads to ride. Life was full of endless possibilities.