How I learned to love.

I'm meeting some very remarkable people. With Alzheimer's. They are learning to cope. Often, even better than their care-givers. Because they are accepting of their disease. Trying to make the best of it. I talked to one yesterday. He was diagnosed 4 years ago. But he's still very conversant. And he's very cognitively aware. If he wanted to hide his Alzheimer's, he easily could. He's that sharp. But he couldn't balance his checkbook. Or drive a vehicle. But by golly, he makes sense. Far more sense than lots of people that I know that don't have Alzheimer's. And he's learned to live one day at a time. To savor it all. I'm truly impressed. As I was with my Jeanne during her 13-year sojourn with Alzheimer's. Jeanne responded to the good vibes she was immersed in during the last 38 months of her life. She forgot her belligerence and anger. I discovered a Jeanne that I loved more than ever. Yes, precious Jeanne. I thought I loved Jeanne from the very beginning of our 38-year marriage. But I loved her more toward the end of her life than I ever imagined I could. Because Jeanne was remarkable. She was coping. She was setting an example. For me. I learned to love like I never loved before. I loved being Jeanne's care-giver. Yes, genuinely loved it. Genuinely loved Jeanne. Jeanne taught me how to love. I couldn't have done it without Jeanne. --Jim Broede