Her singing has ended, but her song continues

Since music was such a big part of Mom’s life, I like to compare how she lived her life to singing a song...and her singing was beautiful, both literally and figuratively. She loved to sing in the church choir and I loved to hear her voice. Every Sunday, I’d sit in the pew, close my eyes, and pick out Mom’s voice over all of the others in the choir. It always made me smile, because I knew she was with me. She also sang her song through missions work, community service, and any other activity that allowed her the opportunity to spread love, compassion, hope, and kindness into the world around her.  She touched a lot of lives with her singing. In the fall of 2019, I noticed Mom’s thoughts were becoming more difficult for her to voice. As the condition got worse, I scheduled an appointment for her to see a specialist. In January of 2020, she was diagnosed with dementia. In spite of such a horrible diagnosis, Mom refused to sit around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she continued to sing, to laugh, to love and to embrace the lives of others. By 2022, however, her song was muted. She lost her ability to speak, but she continued to sing through hugs, kisses, playfulness, and laughter. On the morning of January 6, 2026, Mom’s singing ended forever…but her song continues. It continues through me, my family, and all the lives she touched. Yes, her singing has ended, but her song continues. Thank you for taking the time to read this, for loving my mom, and for donating to research that will one day find a way to end this terrible disease.