Haiku Friday: Memories Lost, Memories Made

What's Alzheimers like?
amnesia or swiss cheese, holes
in your memory ...

Eyes search for meaning:
I think that I should know you,
but I don't know why

Connections won't come
every day is new, yet not
what day is it now?

What day is it now?
Did I just put these clothes on...
(no, it's been a week.)

My dad has had Alzheimers/dementia for several years now. My brother, God bless him, took him into his home and has cared for him, even though Dad has been ornery and stubborn. (Amazing how some of the personality doesn't go away...)

Currently Dad is in a nursing home for rehab after a stint in hospital, but he is uncooperative with the physical therapies they are trying, so it is coming to a head whether he needs to stay there permanently -- in which case, the home would like to be paid full-rate instead of the medicare post-hospital stipend for dealing with the ornery old man.

His father, Grandpa Wright, developed the same thing and we kept him at home as long as we could, with someone coming in to check on him and cook for him every day. When at last he had to enter a home, he never spoke ... or, I think, smiled ... again.

Ironically, one of the most important goals Dad had for his life was "not to end up like my father." He swore (sometimes literally...) up and down that he would keep his brain active, he'd never retire (the dastardly act to which he accounted Grandpa's mental decline), he was a stronger man by far.

Yet here he is. Not stronger than genetics. I'm just glad he doesn't know.

Well now, isn't that a cheery thing to end on! Sheesh!

How about a more-fun haiku to lift the mood. I'm trying reeeeally hard not to write another snow-theme haiku, but it is snowing again a little bit. Come on, brain, focus......

Oh, it's no use, I can't think of another haiku. I've got waffles on the brain ... we're going to a diner shortly!

But here's a fun snowman who was at the playground next to our house. We didn't build him, but that is DuckyBoy in the pic for size comparison. I had to sneak it so it's his back, sorry. He only wanted his Puffle in the picture, so when he was placing it I snapped this.

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? You know what to do: Write haiku, any theme. Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

And be sure to have a great weekend!