The Smallest Things

By: Michelle Remold

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” This quote is attributed to Winnie the Pooh and was on a thank you card I recently sent. This quote caught my attention and caused me to think about it a little more. I have previously written that when it comes to Alzheimer’s and dementia, it is truly the small things that can mean the most.

I have written a lot about my grandpa who passed away when I was 17 after having Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years. I however, haven’t really written about my grandma who has dementia as well. Today happens to also be my grandma’s birthday.

With Alzheimer’s it can become increasingly difficult to find things to do for the person with the disease. So for my grandma’s birthday this year, I made her a blanket. I know that Alzheimer’s progresses differently in everyone. I think that this is something that can be difficult to see when you have already watched the disease progress in someone.

The more I interact with individuals who have Alzheimer’s or dementia, the small things are truly what make me smile. It might be a witty statement or a story. I worked this weekend, but my parents took pictures of my grandma’s birthday and in each one, she looks happy. These are the moments we need to look for when it comes to Alzheimer’s or dementia. These are the moments that make the disease a little easier to handle and they end up taking up the most room in your heart.

Michelle graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with her Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology: Social Sciences and a minor in Family Studies. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Aging Studies and Nursing Home Administration from Minnesota State University Mankato.