56 Ways

Ask him if he remembers. One of his responses was “ZERO.”

Edwin Honig has “56 Ways of Saying I Don’t Remember.”

It’s a documentary of Alan Berliner, his cousin, in exploring memory and forgetfulness.

Edwin Honig was a poet, translator and professor. A very talented man with a brilliant mind, He was afflicted with Alzheimer and died at the age of 91. His brain was donated to science for Alzheimer research.

I find his story fascinating way before “Still Alice” due to the disease. My aunt suffers from this disease as well. First Dementia and progresses to Alzheimer.

There are more than 56 ways of saying I don’t remember.

Instead of making my aunt remembers, she taught us more than 56 ways of caring for people living with the disease. She’s still alive and a delightful person approaching her 90’s.

I discovered that it’s far easier to join her in the art of forgetting, be a child again, be creative in communicating, be patient in waiting for a response or just remain be. A great learning experience to live with a dying mind.

So tell me, how do you care for someone in general?