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Released to the Angels: Discovering the Hidden Gifts of Alzheimer's

by Marilynn Garzione

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

I confess, it can sometimes be an emotionally upsetting thing for me to consume an artistic project concerning Alzheimer's Disease; as someone who lives a life that nearly entirely depends on intellect for its success, of course the idea of losing one's mind is a particularly terrifying one to me. And so it is with a lot of people and Alzheimer's, a thoroughly modern malady that we as a society haven't nearly come to terms with yet, one that's only become a pandemic in the first place because of our ever-increasing ability to extend the lifespan of the physical human body; it's for this reason, in fact, that Marilynn Garzione apparently wrote her new memoir Released to the Angels (yet another title sent to me recently by our friends at print-on-demand publisher iUniverse), in that by sharing some of her own stories concerning the ups and downs of caring for an Alzheimer's patient (in this case, her significantly older long-time husband), she hopes to help others understand such a situation with more nuance themselves, and help them see the surprisingly beautiful and poetically perfect things that occasionally come with it. That's probably the most surprising thing about this book, in fact, the sometimes very unique and always touching new insights Garzione comes up with throughout this tight, 165-page collection of anecdotes, sure to help others going through the same situation keep a better and healthier perspective on the whole thing: for example, I was particularly struck by her observation that if you can learn how to let go of the adult you once knew, Alzheimer's actually gives you a chance to meet the child they once were, an opportunity that most of us never get because of not meeting our romantic partners until after they're adults, an opportunity that caregivers should actually treasure because it gives you such a more sophisticated understanding of this person you love so intensely. Reading that made me immediately think of those first visits to childhood homes with a new romantic partner when you're younger, checking out old photos for the first time and intensely curious suddenly to how this person might've been when they were growing up; it's such thought-provoking surprises throughout this manuscript that makes it such a charmer, and that elevates it above the usual Lifetime Channel movie or Very Special Episode of E.R. concerning the same subject. Perhaps not the most appropriate choice for the young cynical wing of CCLaP's audience, but certainly a book you can give as a gift to a parent and know that you're delivering something smart, well-done and unexpected.

Out of 10: 8.5 ( )

  jasonpettus | Jul 11, 2009 |