When I recently posted a suggestion to share inspiring stories on a website that I moderate, I was asked by one of the members of OurAlzheimers to share an inspiring story here on this website, so here is the story I have to share about my mother.

Through the lonely years of her dementia my mother became less and less familiar to us.  Her warm smile and cheerful personality were all things of the past.  Her last year was spent in a nursing home, and every so often we would get a glimpse of her former self when she was wheeled down to a piano and violin concert that volunteers from the city provided once a month.  When she heard the familiar strains of some of her favorite classical music a sense of serenity appeared on that otherwise tormented face, and she even clapped in appreciation at the end of the performance.  Who knows what tortured thoughts went through her mind most of the time, but once a month she was freed from them and truly seemed to be like the mom we remembered.

The website I moderate is www.care2tell.com, and there are many more stories there to read.  Feel free to contribute yours, too.