Everyday Canvas

The Heart Doesn't Forget...

Prompt: "What the mind can't remember, the heart doesn't forget." Write anything you want about this. This applies to Alzheimers Disease or anything else you have in mind.

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I didn’t know this quote applied to the Alzheimer’s Disease. The second I read it, I thought of PTSD sufferers who, even though they suppress the memories in their minds, end up reliving them in their dreams every night. It goes to show what we wish to forget, we don’t if our hearts remember it.

Sometimes I see a sweet smile on someone’s face and it immediately reminds me of someone else from my past, a friend or a relative, even though I wasn’t consciously thinking of them.

On the sore side, the more painful an experience the more our mind will work hard to make sure we don’t forget it, so we don’t make that mistake again. And if the painful experience wasn’t our mistake, then our heart will remember when spotting the same heartbreak someone else is experiencing. This makes me believe that our hearts are created to teach us empathy.

Then back to the Alzheimer’s, such a devastating disease, and yes, the person may not consciously remember a nice gesture or a visit from a loved one, but still such actions by others make them happy. My cousin took care of her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s for twenty years until my aunt’s death. My cousin, who I think is up for sainthood, says her mother, even during her later years, smiled and felt happy after my other cousins visited her. I think even though her mind stopped working, her heart felt the love offered to her. After all, in all our lives, not something material but a beautiful moment is what matters the most.