EVEN IF THEY FORGET, THEY STILL FEEL

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and at Zoe in Yourself we wanted to pay tribute to everyone affected by this disease, as well as to their families and caregivers.

The title of this new series, “Even If They Forget, They Still Feel,” seeks to highlight the importance of the quality of the time we spend with people living with Alzheimer’s. Sometimes we become caught up in the countless practical details the disease entails—the necessary shopping, caregivers’ shifts and replacements, medication, and so on. Yet it is often the smallest things—the tone of our voice, a smile, unhurried movements, and our conscious presence—that bring some of the most meaningful rewards. They can create the fleeting sense of a connection that may last only a few seconds, yet in that brief moment there is a genuine peace, like finding a small oasis within the mind.

At other times, a song may start playing by chance—perhaps one they used to sing with their children, or one that played on their wedding day. That autobiographical echo, woven into the history of so many families, can make something change for a few moments. You look at their face and see their eyebrows lift; you know they recognize it. Their lips begin to move, and a smile appears—the smile you had almost forgotten.

We do not know exactly how far they have come back, but we feel that they are still there. We may forget the name of the song, but we do not forget how we felt when we heard it. It is universal and wonderfully human.

We envy the power of music. It does not ask, “Do you remember me?” It needs no answer. It simply enters by a different path and finds emotions that are still there. Music brings us together because it evokes memories, and it moves us because it is part of our story.

Although Alzheimer’s can sweep away names, dates, places, and words, music can restore presence and identity. It is a way of saying:

“I don’t need you to remember me for me to still be here with you.”

And so music becomes a gentle companion, guiding their steps, for a few precious minutes, towards a shared moment of connection.

CFC