Kathy Neal is a close family friend and a technowizard. When Big Al messed up the remote and TV like Claire does, Kathy was the go-to person to fix it. Trust me, that happened a lot. She’s part of the family and heard all of Big Al’s jokes at least ninety times—Foot-Foot, the dog story, too many to name here.
My husband, Mike, is the prayer warrior in the group. Even if Dad doesn’t understand the words, he feels the love in those prayers. He hears the Bible verses Mike reads to him, and he nods. YouTube is a great resource for old hymns for an old man. It’s also great for videos of airplanes taking off and sailboats skimming the Pacific, both things my father-in-law loved. He spent his career as an engineer at Lockheed, designing aircraft and being part of the Lockheed Sailing Club. When he sees those videos, he smiles.
But he smiles most for Dorothy, his wife of close to sixty years, my mother-in-law, and a woman I greatly admire. Love shines in his eyes when she visits him, and I have to believe that somehow, somewhere deep in the recesses of the human soul, love trumps this awful disease.
If someone in your life is battling Alzheimer’s, I pray you find peace. It’s a rough road, but let’s not forgot the main thing. We have the promise of eternity where there’s no disease, no memory loss, no suffering. Like the old hymn says, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing it will be.”
Until then, let’s love like we’re loved by God—unconditionally, with mercy and unending grace.
All the best,
Victoria Bylin
RIP Alan F. Scheibel, August 18,1928—September 2, 2016
Victoria Bylin is a romance writer known for her realistic and relatable characters. Her books have been finalists in multiple contests, including the Carol Awards, the RITAs, and RT Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Award. A native of California, she and her husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky, where their family and their crazy Jack Russell terrier keep them on the go. Learn more at her website: www.victoriabylin.com.
Books by Victoria Bylin
Until I Found You
Together With You
Someone Like You
The Two of Us
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House Twitter: @Bethany House
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