Later on, I asked her {her mother}, "How does it feel?"
"What?"
"When you can't remember things. Does it frighten you? Do you feel sad?"
"Well, not really. I have this condition, you see. It's called osteo...ost..."
"You mean Alzheimer's?" I said, helping her out.
She looked astonished. "Yes! How on earth did you know that?"
"Just a guess..."
"I can never remember the name," she explained.
"Of course not."
"It affects my memory..."
"...And that's why you can't remember"?"
She frowned and shook her head. "Remember what?"
"There's not a single thing I can do about it," she told me when I reminded her. "If there was something I could do and wasn't doing it, then I could feel sad or depressed. But as it is..." She shrugged.
"So you're okay with it?"
She looked at me, patiently. "I don't have much choice," she explained. "So I may as well be happy.
"What?"
"When you can't remember things. Does it frighten you? Do you feel sad?"
"Well, not really. I have this condition, you see. It's called osteo...ost..."
"You mean Alzheimer's?" I said, helping her out.
She looked astonished. "Yes! How on earth did you know that?"
"Just a guess..."
"I can never remember the name," she explained.
"Of course not."
"It affects my memory..."
"...And that's why you can't remember"?"
She frowned and shook her head. "Remember what?"
"There's not a single thing I can do about it," she told me when I reminded her. "If there was something I could do and wasn't doing it, then I could feel sad or depressed. But as it is..." She shrugged.
"So you're okay with it?"
She looked at me, patiently. "I don't have much choice," she explained. "So I may as well be happy.
( Ruth Ozeki )
[ The Face ]
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