I feel I’m becoming a broken record, but I also want to record as many “Happy Moments” as I can before they come to an end. As I have said before, Kate isn’t cheerful all the time. She is typically in a neutral state. During that time, she doesn’t appear happy or sad. In fact, she doesn’t ever feel sad, but she is frequently happy. Her happy moments occur most often in the afternoon and least common in the morning. That fits with the fact that she has never been a morning person.
Over the last year or so, and especially in recent months, she has been waking earlier, feeling at ease, and sometimes talking. On those days, I often get in bed beside her. Wednesday of this past week was one of those days. As usual, I understood only a few words she said, but it was a very special conversation during which I talked about our first date and how that led to many others leading up to our marriage. At one point, I said, “I love moments like this with you.” She said, “I do too.” Her words were as clear as though she didn’t have aphasia at all.
That afternoon was also special. She was in a cheerful mood when I returned from lunch. We talked for a short time, and I read The Velveteen Rabbit to her. I used to read it frequently; but after a while, she seemed to lose interest. I thought the Alzheimer’s had made it too difficult for her to appreciate it. In recent months, I have read it to her with much better success. She used to respond audibly to much of what I read. It’s not the same now, but she listens quietly and appears to concentrate on what I am reading. It is clear that she enjoys listening, and I enjoy reading to her. I treasure these moments.
