Mom's little boy
Mom is getting worse quickly. She slips in and out of time/place recognition. She asked me the other day where her little boy was; he should be around here someplace. I'm her little boy. Yet, now I'm more like her father.
Alzheimer's turns the table on relationships. The nurturer gets nurtured. The parent gets parented. The child takes charge. The thing that doesn't change is the love that is exchanged. Indeed, that aspect of the relationship is actually enhanced. This is a cherished time, a time for service without conditions, a time to give to the one person who gave so much to me.
This terrible disease changes everything. It changes relationships and responsibilities and time commitments. it will also change the heart. Whether that heart change is bitter or blessed is up to each individual.