FOR SENIORS IN THE TWILIGHT OF THEIR LIVES

Not long ago I attended a party given for a group of seniors in the twilight of their lives with little memory of their past and no awareness of their future. They were all living in various stages of Alzheimer's disease.

I looked at their faces and into their eyes. I moved among them, touching, shaking hands, trying to converse with them, listening to the few words they offered in an effort to communicate with me,

Many undoubtedly live with inner pain as they struggle to recapture the memories of lost years, their minds being destroyed by a disease still not fully understood, A few were alert and aware of life around them. But the tremble and hesitancy in their voices revealed a diminishing ability to recall their past and to cope with current reality.

I wanted to know more about their lives, to feel their pain and sorrows, to listen to their loving voices, to share their victories and their defeats, the laughter and the tears that make up the fabric of their lives. And I couldn't help but wonder who among us may someday be among them.