Halloween 2013

With each holiday that passes, we wonder if this is the last time mom will remember that particular holiday. She has lost memory of those smaller holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day, even 4th of July. But as of last year, her memory was still intact for the “bigger” holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. If I remember correctly, it did take some explaining to spark her memory about Halloween. But eventually, she figured out what we were talking about and remembered how we celebrate Halloween.

Saturday night, my parent’s church ward had their annual Halloween party and trunk-or-treat. Dad likes to have all the grandkids come along and be together for some Halloween fun. I got the kiddos (an myself) dressed up and headed over to my dad’s house, figuring we may as well ride over together. As I walked in the door, I asked dad if mom was going to come with us (knowing full well before I asked that she wouldn’t go).

“No, she doesn’t understand the concept of why we’re going to the church tonight. I tried explaining it; she says that she’s going to church tomorrow and she doesn’t know why we’re going tonight,” dad told me.

I knew it wouldn’t do any good to try and convince her, yet I was still determined to try. I went down the hallway into the room where I knew she was hiding; there she was, sitting at the computer.

“Mom, do you want to go with us to the Halloween party at the church?” I asked.

I explained to her what Halloween is. I pointed out that we dress up and wear costumes and say “trick-or-treat” to ask for candy. My sidekick, “Baby Jack-Jack”, walked in the room and I showed my mom his cool costume. Apparently, mom must think that I look like a superhero everyday because she was oblivious to our being dressed up, even when I pointed it out. The concept is gone.

“Your dad keeps talking to me about this but I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she said, giving me a blank look before returning to her card game on the computer.

Despite all of my attempts to explain Halloween, I couldn’t get mom to understand. I suppose it’s just one more thing to add to the list of the things she’s forgotten. Forgetting holidays is a big one. If she can’t remember Halloween, will she remember Thanksgiving or Christmas? When she forgets those, what will she forget next?