Friday night at home again

It is the First Friday in May. There is an arts celebration occurring in the Arts District of Las Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas has an arts district and it is not on the Las Vegas Strip. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of people having fun in the Arts District, while I am at home composing this entry and listening for my mother to cry, call my name, or cough.

In a few minutes, I have to go in and wake Mom up in order to give her medication. I would like to be in the Arts District enjoying the poetry readings, the music, and the food. That is no possible because I need to have someone stay with Mom who is capable of giving her medication, which is sometimes an ordeal.

I miss not going out on Friday nights. I miss not going out on any night. It does not matter whether it is a weekday or a weekend. I am at home taking care of Mom. Our positions have reversed, Alzheimer’s disease does that; it slowly steals the memory of the person who suffers from it. However, with Alzheimer’s it is not only the person who has it that suffers it is the entire family.