Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Like Children

The other day as I was transporting my daughter and granddaughters somewhere, we noticed little three-year-old Mae singing in the back seat. She was repeating her song over and over. My daughter commented that she was like her grandpa. (Dean, as I've indicated earlier, is a master song-repeater, of the "broken record" variety, getting stuck on the same song for days and weeks.)

I corrected her in saying that she wasn't copying Grandpa, but Grandpa was the one who was copying his granddaughter, and we both got a chuckle. Yes, repetitious singing is normal for a three-year-old, but it wasn't normal...well, you know the rest. There's nothing "normal" about dementia, as those who've lived with it can attest. Keeping your sense of humor is one of the ways you can help keep your sanity though.

I have found it humorous that one of Dean's latest songs he's been humming and singing is "Rock-a-bye Baby". Usually his songs are ones he's heard lately, so I couldn't understand how this one got into his brain. It was so different from the hymns he usually gets attached to.

After talking about Grandpa copying Julia though, it dawned on me that he may have heard the girls singing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to their dolls, or maybe he started singing it with them as they were trying to rock their doll-babies to sleep. So, this would confirm the copying-his-granddaughter theory.

Jesus told us to be as little children, loving and trusting. Dean is reminding us of that every day.

Dean holding one of his granddaughters a few years back.

3 comments:

Joy said...

Teresa, I may have said this in the past, but God has given you a special ability, perceptiveness and wisdom to handle Dean's illness and many moods. You are a gift to Dean, and I am sure it would not be so if you did not have the loving, Christian heart you do have. I think God has a special place in His heart, just for you.

Teresa said...

You are so kind, Joy. Your words of encouragement have always meant a lot!

But you are right, I know having the Lord in my life is the only way I can survive all this. The lessons just keep coming.

Joy said...

Teresa, the lessons keep coming and you keep teaching! I think a collection of your 'lessons' would make a wonderful little devotion book. You're down there in Lincoln where the University Press is... wonder if they would be interested??