SkipCohenUniversity
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us

the SCU Blog

Cherishing Those Special Moments

10/23/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
While this is way off base for a blog typically about the business and marketing side of photography, it's hardly off base for a Sunday Morning Reflections post. However, it makes a point that would be hard not to share on ANY day of the week.

I manage the blog for the Friendship Centers here in Sarasota and I shared the post below last Thursday. The video is only a minute long, but it left me with hours of wonderful memories. It's haunted me in a very positive way for the last few days.

There are so many of you who have family members dealing with the challenge of Alzheimer's. My mother fought the battle for seven years, and was the primary reason we moved to Sarasota five years ago this week. We lost Mom two years ago, but I still cherish those those special moments when Alzheimer's took a break and we got her back, sometimes only for a few minutes.

I miss her a lot, but when I look back, even when the tears start to flow, there's still a small smile on my face. This is one of  my favorite pictures of my folks, taken just before Alzheimer's took hold. Both her and my Dad are never far from my thoughts. I can often feel her presence around me. She wanders in and out of my dreams, like a walk-on part from a Hollywood movie.

My mother and I were never that close from my teen years through early adulthood. Moving to Florida, it was the first time since high school that I was living just a few miles away. As a result, we saw Mom several times a week. As Alzheimer's stole more and more from us, with Sheila's help I learned to preserve those bright spots.

So, here's my point on this wonderful Sunday morning - life is simply too short and if you're dealing with Alzheimer's too painful as well. You've got to look for those special moments and embrace the hell out of them. I remember my Dad once saying about this last chapter with Mom, "We've been together over sixty years and I'm going to squeeze the juice out of every good moment that comes along!"

Wishing all of you a wonderful Sunday and a day filled with family, friends and those special loved ones who have helped define your life and who you are. Go for an eleven-second hug with at least one person today and, if you're fighting the Alzheimer's battle, remember you're not alone. Find those special moments and simply squeeze every "drop of juice" you can get!

Picture
by Skip Cohen

Wandering through YouTube this morning I typed in "Alzheimer's" and discovered this little gem. It truly defines the words "heart-melting".

My mother fought the battle with Alzheimer's for seven years, and in fact, it's because of Mom, my Dad and I started going to the Care Giver Support Group every Thursday. That's where the relationship with the Friendship Centers started.

We learned a lot in those sessions. Most important of all was being reminded we weren't alone with our frustrations and sadness. But in spite of all the sadness there were some very special moments over the years. It's those moments of sharing love with Mom that Sheila and I define today as priceless memories.

This video reminded of something we learned, that I still hang on to, learning to cherish those special moments when Alzheimer's took a break and Mom came shining through. We used to call it "the sun peeking through the clouds."  And, just like the sun, how long we felt its warmth was always changing.

The picture to the right is Sheila with Mom on her birthday in 2013. The "sun came shining through" in a moment where Mom was worried about time simply passing too quickly as she looked at her birthday card.

​Sheila had a unique relationship with my mother, because she never argued with whatever Mom said. If Mom commented on how green the sky was, Sheila just rolled with it and told her it matched her beautiful eyes. (They were brown by the way!) They'd both laugh and Mom would squeeze her hand. As a result of Sheila simply being a friend, Mom lit up every time Sheila came into the room.

Every battle with Alzheimer's is different for every family. I have no lofty advice, except to say, join a support group and learn to cherish those special moments of love, which just like this video become heart-melting.

More information on the Caregiver Resource Center is just a click away.

1 Comment
Jan Sears link
10/24/2016 09:29:52 am

Really beautiful words sir. I have had my great grandmother affected by this so I know. Thank you for putting it out there. Means a lot.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Click to visit Platypod.com

      Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Our Partners

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    "Why?"

    Check out "Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog. It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound bite. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. We're over 100 artists featured since the project started. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.

    Categories

    All
    Beyond Technique
    Business
    Customer Service
    EDU10
    Excire
    F64 Lunch Bunch
    Faculty
    Fast Food Friday
    Guest Post
    Humor And Sarcasm
    In The News
    Lessons Learned
    Lighting
    Luminar
    Lumix
    Marketing
    Mark's Corner
    Mind Your Own Business
    Miscellaneous
    Motivational
    One Step At A Time
    Photodex
    PhotoShelter
    PhotoTexting
    Platypod
    Podcasts
    Profoto
    Sales
    Search
    Skylum
    Social Media
    Sunday Morning Reflections
    Tamron
    Tamron Recipes
    Technique
    Throwback Thursday
    Wedding Photography
    Westcott
    Why?

Categories​

Business
Marketing
Technique
Sales
Fast Food Fridays
​

Podcasts

Tamron Recipes 
Beyond Technique
Why?
Mind Your Own Business
Pro Photographer Journey

 Partners

Tamron
PhotoTexting

​Lumix

Marathon Press
​Platypod
©  2019 Skip Cohen University
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us