The Woman with the Empty Suitcase

I wrote this piece after a visit with my mother in August 2009. It has been painful to watch my mother's awareness fade over the years due to her worsening Alzheimer's Disease. I will always be grateful for this visit and the comfort it provided me. I now consider that she is not in turmoil, but rather resting into a long-awaited solace. I believe that for my mother, it is better for her to remember nothing than to live with her painful memories. I hope this might ease discomfort for anyone feeling the loss of connection of a loved one - not just from Alzheimer's but for any reason at all. I've learned that we may or may not ever know why some things happen the way they do, but that there is always a reason and that we can trust it.