My mother Marion and her mother Amelia. 

Mom was born in 1928, so I'm guessing this picture is circa 1929. 

According to my father, supposedly her mother (my grandmother) had vascular dementia, the same disease that's destroying Mom. Or at least some form of dementia/Alzheimer's. 

Desolation and Despair

Oh Mom,

Remember when you knew what a card was? And why someone would mail you a card?

You were sent this BEAUTIFUL card in the mail...and I remember when you knew what they were and what to do with them....

Early

Dear Mom,

Do you remember taking us kids to Sunday School at Good Shepherd Lutheran every week?

And do you remember how you made sure that we were always at least 10 minutes early, because your mother taught YOU to arrive early?

And do you remember that this meant a lot of times we were the first ones there, so therefore we ended up turning on the lights & waiting for a teacher and/or other students? 

I remember.

KYW...NEWS RADIO...TEN-SIXTY...

Dear Mom,

I used to call you if I heard on the radio that there'd been an accident on my route to/from work

(because I knew you'd be concerned if you happened to be listening to the same radio station at the same time)

...so I would call just to reassure you that I wasn't involved in the accident

...and you always thanked me for calling.

Do you remember? I remember.

Hot Mama

Dear Mom, 

Do you remember when you and your friends all sloooooowly started getting older and you noticed them huddling more and more into their sweaters? 

And how you also noticed that you were giving AWAY more and more of your sweaters 'cause you weren't getting colder but steadily hotter? 

I remember. 

('Cause I'm starting to do the same thing.)

(#MirrorMirrorOnTheWall) 

Grandma and Grandpa Moger

Dear Mom,

Do you remember taking us kids to visit your parents in Patchogue? 

And then, after Grandma died, taking us to see just your father in Patchogue?

And how you always sat on his lap in his big old armchair?

(And how he always called you "Sis?") 

I remember.

Christmas Eve and Church

Dear Mom,

Do you remember all those Christmas Eves spent in church? Sometimes you and me and my sisters (separately or together) had to be at all 4 services (5pm, 7pm, 9pm, & 11pm)?

So we'd get there by an hour before whichever first service we were involved in, and we would basically make camp up in the choir loft.

And by the time we got done, it was past midnight = Christmas. 

I remember.