The Miracle of Alzheimer's

My friend Ed has Alzheimer’s.
One of my first encounters with Ed happened over twelve years ago. It was a rainy day and I saw Ed’s car stranded by the side of the road with a police car pulled up behind it. Fortunately, my husband has a habit of keeping huge golf umbrellas in my car.
Ed and I and the officer stood in a dry island, our own little universe of three people under my big umbrella. Ed talked about faith and we prayed for God’s protection for the officer while we waited for the tow truck.
I know it was twelve years or more because my son wasn’t yet born. My son has only known a world that included Ed.
Ed, and his wife Kathy, always kept candy in a drawer just in case the neighborhood kids happened to ring the doorbell which, naturally, the kids did on a regular basis. After a while, Ed started sharing his stash of ice cream bars. William, my son, would return home from errands to their house with one for mom, knowing that if I didn’t eat it, he would get two.
Ed, a brilliant, gentle giant of a man, spent his career teaching teachers at Lutheran colleges.
I know that Alzheimer’s is unpredictable. Still, if I didn’t know better, I would think that the reason that Ed still has access to the teaching and the gentleness tracks in his brain is because those are the tracks he used most often over the years.
Observing Ed teach is a sight to behold.
Now days, when we go visit Ed, he gives my son putting lessons. Each time William misses the putt, Ed gently shows him again how to line up his golf club against the plastic target on the other end of the room.
Same lesson every few minutes. Just like it was the first time Ed ever explained it. Because, for Ed now, every few minutes is the first time.
William is learning to listen attentively like it’s the first time for him, too, because he wouldn’t hurt Ed’s feelings for anything in the world.
Actually, putting has turned out to be the strongest point of William’s golf game. Hmm…
Ed’s favorite verse is, “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him….”
If you ask Ed about scripture, he will quote these verses from Proverbs 3:5-6 and then, gently explain the many benefits of trusting in the Lord over man’s limited capacity to understand. This from the man who always had brain power to spare.
If you wait a few minutes, he’ll repeat the lesson.
His face will light up and he will repeat the lesson just like it is the very first time he thought of it.
I always try to remember to ask Ed about that scripture when we’re together.
Like golf, some of Life’s lessons are better with repetition.