August 17, 2008 – Marion is beautiful, radiant and very much aware of her relationship with Izzy and her place in life. She is so pleasant that it is easy to romanticize the experience. Because she is so brave, cheerful, and uncomplaining, it is possible to sometimes forget what a struggle life can be for her and the other patients in the Alzheimer’s unit that we visit.
  She has trouble seeing, and hearing, and eating, and she battles continuously to remember things, and to be aware of visitors and others around her. She struggles with fatigue, disorientation and aches and pains she doesn’t like to talk about. She never says so, but she clearly misses her husband Horace, life with her children, and her farm, cows, dogs and sheep. I began reading poems to her, but she couldn’t hear them easily.
  She talked yesterday about getting up at 3 a.m. with Horace, because she needed to “give him something,” so that he wouldn’t head out to do chores on an empty stomach. She has powerful nurturing instincts, and they are much in evidence around Izzy.
  Yesterday, she was different. “Sometimes, I feel as if I’m wearing out,” she said, her face revealing her worry and discomfort. A few minutes later, she was her gracious and smiling self, and she focused on Izzy, and took so much comfort from touching and talking with him.
  She loves flowers, and has a book of flowers on her dresser, so we brought her a bunch, and I didn’t realize it at first, that she couldn’t really see them, so she touched and smelled them, and she just lit up with joy. Marion has a radiance that I rarely see in anyone, at any age.
  We had a wonderful, loving visit, talking and trading stories and I took some photos that are quite special to me, as they caught something, I think, of her amazing spirit and faith. I will put them up throughout this evening. I think I am prouder of them than any photos that I have taken.