Maria Shriver

Sara Pines

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Blog Posts

• November 29, 2011

  Alzheimer's and Caregiving

  

  Today's Sandwich Mom: Learning As We Go

  Follow @sarampines

  This was the third year in a row my Dad was not at Thanksgiving.

  In truth, he was there four years ago...but not really. You see, my Dad suffers from dementia and four years ago, he was in free fall. He was sinking into the gloom of dementia and losing his sense of self (where he was, who we were...) pretty fast. It was heartbreaking to try to enjoy the simple family rituals of turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake with him in that state. We were all on edge.

  The next year, Thanksgiving was just about six weeks after my Mom made the wrenching decision to move him into a nursing home.

• September 26, 2011

  Alzheimer's and Caregiving

  

  Today's Sandwich Mom: The Book of Life

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  Apples and honey for a sweet new year. For my five year old, that’s what the Jewish New Year is all about. Especially the honey. At her age, all she knows is literal sweetness.

  For me, she is the sweetness. The sweetness of having her hold my hand (how much longer will she do it?) as we walk to school. The sweetness of her telling me she loves me. Of course, there are thorns, too.

• May 18, 2011

  Alzheimer's and Caregiving

  

  Today's Sandwich Mom: Bribery

  I offered my daughter a treat to go visit my dad the other day. He's been in the nursing home, slowly dying of dementia for two and a half years now -- about half her life. She's used to going.

  But in the last year or so, we'd developed a ritual of bringing candy for the two of them to share. He always loved sweets. She has the same sweet-tooth and despite the fact that he didn't know it was his granddaughter holding up the gummi bear or Raisinette, he took it and seemed at least to enjoy it.

• April 13, 2011

  Alzheimer's and Caregiving

  

  Today's Sandwich Mom: I'll Do It Myself

  “I’ll do it myself!”

  That seems to be the favorite phrase of my five year old these days – from dressing herself to making grilled cheese. Of course, some activities I let her take charge of. The grilled cheese, not so much.

  I applaud her independence though, and try not to get hysterical when she scoots far away from me on the sidewalk or wades into a crowd of people. Really, I’m thrilled that she’s so self-confident and undaunted.