“I desperately want to be able to share my life with my dad. ...”
When I first met my husband, he talked almost daily to his parents about what was going on in his life. Now, he can’t talk to his dad about anything. Ben is so consumed by his disease, he is unable to show interest in his son, and he is unable to understand most conversations.
The Peel
Without dementia, Ben would have been so proud of his son’s success in business. He would have loved to discuss upcoming strategies and investments. He would have had his own friends and his own ministry to serve his community. He would have loved to talk about spiritual matters and about heaven to come.
As it is, Ben sees his son as a constant failure for not finding a cure. He can’t understand anything that his son is doing. He can’t remember his own friends, so they stopped coming by. Now our circle of friends is his circle of friends so it’s hard to have quality time with them. Ben still praises God, but he can’t hold a spiritual conversation.
My husband longs for a normal father-son relationship with his dad.
The Fruit
“... Someday I will again.”
If this were the end of the story, it would be a sad story indeed. But, there is a happy ending to this story - one in which Ben is whole again and his relationships are restored. He will be able to listen, understand, and share with his son all the things that were missed during this lifetime. He will be thankful for how well his son cared for him and he will be proud of his devotion. We look forward to that day with great anticipation and joy.
***
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)
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