I do not know the history of the following–it was a forwarded greeting from a second or third party. I feel guilty about not being able to get permission to share it, but would feel even guiltier if I did not share it:

Dear Family and Friends–Happy Holidays!

This is a different greeting than we formerly sent, no trips, adventures or great activities to report.  Jenny* has Alzheimer’s and now our journey is an inner one in which we have daily talks about the trips we took, the people we know, how we met and the memories that are still alive. We wonder what will happen and then come back to the present moment as our most precious gift and refuge.  We hold hands and hug more often and have the deepest conversations we have ever experienced  during our 43 years together.  We spend hours a day  processing what is going on, talking about the joys and losses of our life  and being grateful for all we have and especially for friends and family.

…Everyday lessons and finally learning anew every day how to respond to the calligraphy from Thich Nhat Hanh on our wall, “How may I best love you?”  It seems like this is a daily koan for me.

Much of my time is spent reassuring Jenny , as Lisa Genova (author of Still Alice) has said, “Diagnosis doesn’t mean you’re dying tomorrow.  Keep living. You won’t lose your emotional memory. You’ll still be capable of understanding love and joy. Despite the fact that my yesterdays are disappearing and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment.

Jenny and I have been given the opportunity to really practice what we have learned…over the years. In taking this dive into the unknown, we are learning how to truly love each other. Meanwhile, her long term memory is stellar. We now have time t0 complete any unfinished business (Jenny’s specialty), let go of anything that doesn’t support our journey and share our deepest truths about everything.

We talk about family and friends like you often and know you are there. Thank you for your prayers, blessing and metta practice. If one thing is true, “understanding is love.”

May your holiday season be blessed with peace, love and joy. May you take care of yourself so you may take care of those you love.

With loving kindness and peace….

*Jenny substituted for real name.