Who Can Know?

I believe it was approximately nine and a half years ago when the family began to notice that my, then seventy-three year-old sister-in law, Jeannie was demonstrating frequent short-term memory and recall loss. Quickly, as the clouds of a gathering spring storm advance, this dreadful robber of  remembrance blanketed this widowed mother of six and the subsequent visits to her home and more recently the nursing facility became an exercise in detached staring into the dark hole of Alzheimer.

This Friday past, my wife received a telephone call from her niece with news that Jeannie had suffered two Grand-mall seizures and the family had been 'called' to her side. Obviously, my wife and I consoled each other with the resolve that the actual breathing-end to Jeannie's darkness would be God's welcomed blessings. We were embracing feelings of relief and prepared to say our second and final goodbye.

Yesterday, we traveled the ninety-minutes journey to the Alhambra, Illinois nursing home to engage  a final time into Jeannie's fixed wide-eyed gazing-look of bewilderment. We were prepared to 'say' that private goodbye to my wife's 82-year old sister who was her family's blueprint for 'giving' and sacrifice. We entered the room to notice two of Jeannie's daughters sitting at her chair side. Neither Patty or Diane spoke to us but instead allowed the incredible anticipated episode to unfold in its absolute miraculous moment. Jeannie turned her head to face both Gerry (her sister) and me and then, as if cued by Almighty God she spoke two simple words; "Gerry, Moe!" For the first time in over nine Novembers, Jean Marie (Bischof) Conrad recognized a our faces and spoke our names.
We stayed for better than two-hours and visited. Although, Jeannie was not using conversational sentences she was listening with obvious 'awareness' to our talking and followed our faces with an intriguing study. On occasion, she would speak words, clap her hands quietly and motion for us to place our toy poodle back onto her lap where she would whisper over and over, 'Puppy."

I have no explanation and medical care takers offer likewise. Perhaps the seizures caused some brain activity change, which culminated in this momentary escape from the darkness of Alzheimer's.

We plan to return this Sunday to visit once again with Jeannie. Perhaps, she will be even better, then again the mystery of her journey may take another road.