Empathy and Strength

This is a tough topic: Alzheimer's and dementia.

Thus far I have not had to deal with it except in third person as a citizen watching President Reagan's health deteriorate after he had left Washington, but as many of you know, I write for the Dallas Morning News Community Voices section.

One of my colleagues if you will, Catherine Ehret, had this piece published based on her experience with her mother.  I ask you to read it and sit back and think.

I bring it up today because I nominated it for the best of the early submissions in our group and was amazed at the professional columnist's take on it.  It doesn't matter who, but I was amazed at the ticky tackiness of writers who criticized the piece.

For me, I found it to be genius.  It has the true heart of good writing which includes an utter honesty about the situation the author is facing in the very non-fiction reality which she and her family exist right now dealing as Catherine notes "It’s strange to write in the past tense when your subject is still alive."  There is no gloss covering what was clearly a loving, but perhaps somewhat distant relationship.  This was a great column in my mind and I hope you will think so too.  When I read it I immediately empathize with her situation and am not-so-secretly happy I am not dealing with the issue, but I also admire the rock of strength that Catherine clearly has - both the medical situation her mother has and submitting herself to the arrows of "friends" in an open critique session.

The whole issue makes me think of the people with the blue pencil in our lives who are editing or trying to edit away.  Sometimes I have to ask what is their purpose?  Are they trying to make us better or just more like them?  Either way, go have a great Wednesday and be careful who you let edit your life.