Looking Back, Alzheimer's and Hunting for Happiness

Happiness is finding joy wherever you can.
Unknown

by Skip Cohen

​In the last few months, if you've followed me for even the shortest time, you've probably noticed me writing more about my work supporting Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.  Having lost so many family members to the disease, it's a topic near and dear to my heart.

It's Sunday, and Reflections is consistently about something other than business and, most of the time, more personal than my regular posts. Well, when I read the quote above, all I could think about was a comment my Dad made when dealing with my mother's last couple of years with Alzheimer's.

"I'm going to hang onto every moment of joy we get, squeeze the damn juice out of it, bottle it, and save it for the bad days."  

And Dad did just that...he hung on to every moment where, as we used to describe it, the sun came out from behind the clouds, when my mother was back to being herself, even if just for a few minutes. He was angry, frustrated, and sad so often - he was losing his best girl after 60+ years, and there was nothing he could do to slow things down.

Fast forward twelve years later, and technology is slowly catching up on the disease. There are treatments now available that, if Alzheimer's is caught early enough, they slow it down. There's no cure, but there is a giant speed bump being created by infusion drugs like Kisunla. As a result, the word "hope" is becoming a part of the Alzheimer's vocabulary.  And along with hope, joy is a little less elusive.

And there's my point—it's an expression we've all heard so many times over the years: life is only what you make it. You can complain that roses have thorns or rejoice that thorns have roses. It's all in your perspective. In spite of the chaos in the world and the insanity of what we read, hear, and see happening, the quality of your life is still mostly dependent on you.

Wishing everybody a day ahead filled with joy, smiles, and time with family and friends you love the most. For us, we've got good friends coming over for this afternoon, and I'm already anticipating that wonderful ache you get in your gut from laughing too much. Don't forget those eleven-second hugs with the people most important to you—they're the ones that help you keep things in perspective and focus on joy.

And to my best buddy and wife, Sheila, who helps me stay focused on the joy in our lives...

Everything changed the day he figured out
there was exactly enough time for the important things in his life.
The Story People