I'm Here

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao-tzu

I have finally committed to doing this.

What am I thinking about? Life, death, love, fear, anger, joy. I am watching my father die of Alzheimer's Disease. I share the burden with my four siblings, and our mother. I don't believe my father is carrying the burden any longer, since he has now reached a point where he is declining rapidly. A little bit more of him is gone each day, yet in my heart I still see him as the vital young man who was my Daddy. When cruel reality steps in smacks me in the face, I acknowledge the truth: my Daddy is locked away from me forever, a prisoner of his own physiology.

I want to use this space to share my thoughts and feeling, to perhaps tell our story, and hopefully to connect with others.

I am keeping my identity, and even my location, private for a specific reason. Alzheimer's is a rapidly-spreading epidemic that is dessimating families all across our nation. The minutae that is "me" is but a grain of sand in the vast desert of Alzheimer's. All of us who deal with this disease on any level or in any way are connected. It is that connection that is important to me.

So welcome, and talk with me.