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Browsing All posts tagged under »mother«
A Journal Entry from 1997
In 1997, I was 16 years old and in grade 11. My mother had “full-blown” Alzheimer’s. She was 46 years old. Writing in my journal was my form of therapy and probably the only productive coping tool I used during these years. I kept a diary from the time I was 13 and stopped writing […]
Five Weddings & My Mother’s Dementia
November 26, 2017
Weddings paralyze me. Recently, I attended a good friend’s wedding in the Washington D.C. area. The morning of the wedding, I sort of had a meltdown. Sid found me in tears, weeping uncontrollably in bed. I realized, perhaps for the first time, the real reason I avoid attending weddings, or have to ply myself with […]
Old Photo, Old Pain
January 23, 2017
On January 23rd 2001, my mother succumbed to Young Onset Alzheimer's. I recently found my favourite picture in the whole wide world.
A Tale of Gooseberries, Grief & Coping
December 12, 2016
I walked into the Indian store at Dundas and Hurontario on a wintry Saturday afternoon last weekend. It was a regular day; Sid and I were just going about our business buying things we needed. There was bad Bollywood music playing. It was the complete NRI experience. And then bam, in the fresh fruits and […]
Whom do you love the most?
March 17, 2016
Memories of mom – physical and emotional resurface every now and then. Precisely for this reason, I did not look at pictures of her, especially from the times she was sick. One of the major regrets I have is not taking more pictures with her when she was well. We barely have pictures of her […]
Diwali Redefined (For me)
November 1, 2014
Festivals and me don’t go together. I hate all festivals and in that I do not discriminate. Be it a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, alien festival…I will hate it as much as all the others. My main reasons include seasonal nicety on people’s part, excessive commercialization of holidays, social pressures about personal grooming and visiting others! […]
My Mother’s Barber: Alzheimer’s Diary
October 31, 2014
They say it takes a village to raise a child. As caregivers, we realize that it takes an entire community to deal with Alzheimer’s. Extended family members, friends, neighbors, healthcare professionals, coworkers, employers, employees, service providers like household help, etc.; a personalized universe of all these groups and more is essential to help a family […]
Love in the Time of Alzheimer’s
February 3, 2013
Sid sent me this article about the reaction of a person living with dementia to an old photograph. The man in this article seems to be in the middle stages of dementia. When he looked at an old photograph of himself with his girlfriend from decades ago, he recognized that the woman in the picture loved […]
That Time of the Year Again
December 17, 2012
When 2012 began, I had no new year’s resolutions. Or perhaps, none that I said out loud. But I had two. (A) To spend the year working for families affected by Alzheimer’s and (B) Work out at least 3 days a week for a year. I am proud to say that I kept both my resolutions. […]
How to (NOT) Get a Good Husband as a 9-Year Old
April 16, 2012
Growing up in a Gujarati Jain-Saraswat Brahmin household, my sister and I were exposed to a minimal amount of traditions and festivals. While this practice led us to become broadminded and less religion-governed, it used to be a great source of distress when we were younger. Living in Gujarat, a lot of my classmates were […]
Had a Bit of Mom Today
August 11, 2011
This post was originally written on April 14th 2011, while I was living in Ann Arbor, MI. Never posted it. But today I can. So here. _________________________________________ It’s been so long since I lost mom to Alzheimer’s. I was very young. I barely have any happy memories of her, with her, about her. But she […]
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 | Karishma on June 15s from my past |
 | Preeti on Living my Yoga |
| Preeti on Unexpected expense |
| Preeti on Unbecoming – My Journey… |
 | Ekta on A Journal Entry from 1997 |
 | Disna on A Journal Entry from 1997 |
 | Snehal on A Journal Entry from 1997 |
| Preeti on A Journal Entry from 1997 |
 | Sid on New Beginnings |
| Preeti on New Beginnings |
| Snehal on 300 Days of Meditation: Tips a… |
| Snehal on Dear Mama, |
| Preeti on Dear Mama, |
 | vishnuagni on Fields of Joy |
 | Vivek Hattangady on Fields of Joy |
February 27, 2019
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