Memory boosters

Photos of family members over the years enhance Mum’s memory. We discovered that having a small assortment, including images of her throughout the years, was beneficial in triggering happy memories, albeit for a brief period. Often, she would confuse pictures of me with those of her, and herself with my Nan, due to her facial recognition not being as sharp as it once was. We make a conscious effort to keep up with the ever-changing faces as everyone grows, especially her Granddaughters, two of whom have never lived in the UK and whom she rarely sees.

Mum has lost over 5 stone in weight, no longer has her hair dyed brown, and has let her fringe grow out, as maintaining it became difficult. It was unsafe to have scissors near her face since she rarely stood still and disliked the sound of hair being cut. It’s understandable that she no longer recognises herself.

She often commented on photos of herself looking ‘old now,’ but at 76, her skin is lovely, just like my Nan’s was until the day she passed. Ageing changes us all.

Music is something Mum always enjoys; however, her taste has changed over time. In her youth, she used to love The Beatles, Elvis, and more recent artists like Coldplay, but she now enjoys more modern music and often gets up to dance to these songs more than to those she loved for years. Perhaps the old favourites remind her of times she doesn’t wish to recall. Who knows?.

Mum has a very strong sweet tooth and often reminisces about her Nan owning a sweet shop, which is where her love for sweet treats began. As a special treat, we frequently order a bag of traditional sweets from her youth, ranging from coconut mushrooms to various types of fudge. She truly is like a kid in a sweet shop during these moments.

She is an avid nature enthusiast, appreciating everything from birds to sunflowers. During our walks, we often pause to look for signs of birds in the trees or simply watch the squirrels bury their food in our garden. Spring is the time of year when Mum is at her happiest, with flowers starting to grow and signs of new life in nature appearing.

We often laugh and describe the feeling of defrosting from the winter blues.