Happy 35th Birthday to my Mother

My mother has Alheizemers. She is taking medicine to slow the progress down but in some ways it is not slowing down. She still knows who I am most of the time and can still talk to me, although she cannot reason any type of conversation. I went to visit her yesterday. I said to her that her birthday is next week. She said "really"? I could see the confusion. I ask her how old she would be and she did not know. I told her I thought she would be 35. She said "yes she would be 35" Now my mother has been 35 for 50 years and once again she will be 35. I ask if she wanted a birthday cake and she said she did. I ask if she would like pretty flowers and she also said she would. Now I know the day of her birthday she will not remember it is her birthday, but I am going to have pretty flowers sent to her at home. I am considering silk flowers so she will have them to look at for a really long time. Real flowers do smell nice though. I realize she will not remember who sent them but hopefully she can enjoy them.
I will also deliver in person a birthday cake. I hope on this day she does remember who I am and can enjoy a slice of her birthday cake and realize that it is her birthday.
Alheizermers is a terrible disease that robs the person of memories that help them to go on in life. It robs the people around them of the person that they love. The lady sitting there sleeping is not my mother. She lives in the shell that is my mother's body but the words that come out of her mouth are not things my mother would say. The confused look on her face is not one that my mother would have ever had. She remembered everyone and what they said. It is sad to watch and heartbreaking to know that one day she will not remember me.
For now we will celebrate her 35th birthday and hope she knows who we are and can enjoy her birthday.
Everyone have a wonderful week and please remember to tell the ones you love that you do love them.

This is a photo of my Mom celebrating one of her birthdays before she got me. I am sure she was not 35 in this picture.