Life Changes Unexpectedly

I sat and watched quietly the shuffle of her feet, the forceful lean upon the walker and I wondered – how did it come to this? Just yesterday she knew my name, last week she appeared to be herself and spoke clearly plans for the holidays and I concurred – we’d travel to be with family. Then in the night, the darkness came it surrounded her in triumph, unawares she called out to me and there it was - the strangest feeling of not knowing. She’s not that old, barely forty-eight you know it’s the new thirty-one when all the world lay at your feet looking forward to retirement - never meant to come. How many years lead to this while we were planning futures and travels, working hard and saving up for years to share - then reality set in we were already there. A view of Alzheimers from the outside.