Winter Shadows

As we walk slowly into deepest winter with the nights drawing in and the darkness of a winters night encompassing all i often think about how Winter cast its shadow of darkness over everybody and how similar that is when dementia shows its hand to families across the world. I walk with a permanent shadow following me which is the shadow of Dementia that is forever with me, never leaving me, always there, dark, foreboding and expectant because you never know when it will show itself. even during the day, with the sun at its highest, the shadow of dementia is always there, following me and sometimes making me feel as i pass other people its casting its shadow over them too!! The guilt monster sometimes is a formidable opponent.

The daylight hours get shorter during the winter, the darkness comes a lot earlier, which i sometimes compare to the dementia creeping up, going through its stages as it approaches the darkest times of anybody’s life, that time is the end stage of dementia, when the fight is at its more ferocious stage. AND YET!! If we look at winters days , when the snow falls, the sky is white and all around is white, illuminating all in its wake. everything seem`s brighter.

The air you breathe seems cleaner, crisp and fresh, children are running around, excited at the prospect of Santa making a visit, families are making arrangements to visit each other, and support each other at this most important time, plans are made, hearts and hopes are raised around the world. The DARKEST of night is illuminated by Christmas lights in Towns and cities all over the world as they explode into the darkness and Christmas trees with dancing flickering lights adorn most windows, shining the light of hope, upward towards the stars.

Winter and its dark nights are nothing to be feared, and if we can try and help each other through the darkness of dementia, lights can be lit in our own life as well, lights that may not have shone for a while, but by helping and supporting others the shining light of humanity will shine forever.

Much love

Cc Norrms Mc Namara