During our lunch yesterday, Kate asked my name and then hers. She picked up the last name we have in common. Then I said, “Now, do you know how we are related?” (That’s something I don’t do very often. I never want to disturb her when she can’t answer, but she almost always engages in these conversations without any concern at all about not remembering.) This time she said, “Tell me.” When I did, she looked startled and said, “Excuse me?” I said, “That’s right. I’m your husband. You look puzzled.” I don’t recall exactly what she said. Here is what she was trying to say. “I was trying to think of the words I wanted to say but couldn’t. They are words I shouldn’t say.” She wasn’t clear, but I believe she was trying to say she was so surprised that she wanted to use profanity but couldn’t remember the words. I said, “Your surprised.” She said, “Don’t you think I should be surprised if we are married and I couldn’t remember?” I said, “Yes.” She said, “See, I’m smart.” I said, “I know you are. You are very perceptive and insightful.” She didn’t care for my translation and said, “I would say I’m smart.”
This was one of those times when she simultaneously shows that her memory is gone along with an intuitive sense about the situation. Her intuitive abilities permit her to see some things while her memory continues to fail.
