We often hear mockingbirds on our morning walks. It’s hard to ignore them. Male mockingbirds barrage the world all day long with sounds that vary from raucous noises to sweet songbirds. They are incessant, stringing their auditory outbursts on and on with nary a breath between the various snippets.
My wife and the mockingbirds have much in common.
It seems each day unleashes a torrent of words from her mind, which is somehow dammed up by night time silence. this verbal flood bursts out just as I lock the door and we step away from home. There are common themes, where are the kids, what is someone’s name, why don’t people call us anymore? the words keep pouring out. Like the mockingbirds, there is no noticeable breath between one thought and the next.
Then come the songs. Although she can’t remember what we had for breakfast, she does remember songs from the third grade, pitch perfect, every word. She sings, she whistles, and we merrily walk on.
I am blessed by mockingbirds.
tio stib
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My husband remembers all the words to songs. He actually strangely developed a talent for singing with his dementia and we all sing together. I like the way you weave the mockingbird into and out of your post. Beautifully written. We have mockingbirds too. They are the state bird of Texas.
The mysteries of the human mind are fascinating. I’m continuously awed by how doing simple things fills my wife with joy, even as her memories and ability to deal with reality around her are fading away. Thank you for your kind thoughts and sharing your own caregiving stories.
It helps to share.