Why The Stars Twinkle
By
Gwendolyn Taitt-Relf
WHY THE STARS TWINKLE
Life is a string of decisions, both large and small, that together work to make up our hours, days, weeks, months, and, eventually, years. Each day we decide what time we crawl out of bed, who we spend our time with, and whether or not we pursue a life change.
But what if this privilege began to dissolve, bit by bit? What if each decision we make leads us deeper into a maze that reduces our rights and choices…and hope? This is a glimpse into the lives of those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and this collection of stories dives into that maze with the patients and their families and loved ones. Each piece is layered with love, regret, happiness, grief, and acceptance; and each expresses the complicated situation of ageing as well as caring for one who is growing old.
However, inspiration is waiting around every corner in the form of God’s love, compassion, and promise of eternal life in heaven. Laugh and cry along with the people who depict the truth that so many know. And find hope, as you hold your loved one’s hand and carefully consider the next decision that must be made.
More About The Book
Alzheimer’s patients, they are life’s treasures, endearing, lovable, and charming, yet completely defenseless against an enemy they can’t see. They are the castaway population, who carry society’s stigma of “no worth.” They live in a world briskly leaving them behind to reside in the land of the forgotten where they have no voices, no choices, and will never make another decision ever again. Like a junkyard of broken down cars, with no blue book value, their engines are cracked, causing sporadic memories; their tires are flat, requiring the need for wheelchairs; and their radiators leak, calling for incontinence products. Always alone among the crowd, yet they all appear to be waiting for something special, as if inching forward in the last line they will ever be in. Just waiting. Not in a line at the mall or waiting to enter a concert or sporting event, but instead waiting for the Lord to call them home. Sometimes I see fear in their eyes, sadness in their smiles, and regret in the stories they share. Some have buried secrets of despair, horror, and shame, leaving them with much heartache and pain. But often I see a showcase of peace, surrender, and faith as they patiently pass the time in their final checkout line, and I am reminded today that life is fleeting rapidly, and the shortest distance between two points is really sunrise to sunset.
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14 (New Living Translation)