It is the month of changing seasons and spring cleaning. It is also the month of my mother’s birthday. I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s Disease three years ago. Watching my mother go from a brilliant PhD scientist and professor to someone who couldn’t have a conversation of more than 2 sentences without repeating her questions was very sad. I missed talking to her and asking her advice.

My mom believed in celebrating whenever you got the opportunity. Life gives you problems and losses often enough. It is important to take in joy to balance that out. When her birthday came around, I always brought a cake and gift and a card. We had a little party. A few years before her death, I bought her some new clothes. She asked why, and I told her that all girls like new clothes. She chuckled and gave me a fashion show with her new outfits. On the last birthday she was farther gone. The card I gave her was on the table next to her. She would pick it up, ask what this was, read it and smile. “How nice!” She would carefully set it beside her plate. A few minutes later, she would pick it up again and repeat her moment of joy. She sang “Happy Birthday” with us but did not know whose birthday it was. She laughed when we said it was hers. “You’re kidding me.”

Six weeks later, she was gone. I was glad we had that one last party the month before.

Chronic disease and losses in life hit hard. Celebrating whenever you get the chance makes positive memories to comfort you during the dark times.