November 19, 2007
"Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s husband... has a romance with another woman, and the former justice is thrilled..."
O'Connor's husband has Alzheimer's disease, and she "even visits with the new couple while they hold hands on the porch swing — because it is a relief to see her husband of 55 years so content."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 comments:
Her beloved husband has entered the twilight of a new reality. O'Connor understands the transcendental nature of Alzheimers and wishes only for the happiness of the two people starting over.
Like driving a car without mirrors, the new couple have only themselves to hold onto as they negotiate a future without a past.
"Fair winds and following seas" to the two travelers as they set forth on their voyage of discovery. Bless Ms. O'Connor for her love and devotion.
I read about this last week and it sounds a lot like putting a brave face on it - I would imagine it has to entail almost unbearably mixed emotions. An awful situation for her.
Sort of like the Supreme Court and the Constitution.
It is no small degree of maturity and love that allows O'Connor to view this at all objectively, though surely it must hurt at times (if not in fact being a continuous heartache).
In dementia, very often the loved one you knew has in a way died and left a wholly different person in their place, or only part of her remains, bubbling to the surface every so often , coming up for air to say I'm still here, only to submerse again into time's relentless flow. The flash of a familiar look may be all that remains after awhile.
So she exhibits an admirable grace and forbearance in the face of sorrow. Much to admire here.
What a stale old news item to be blogging about. So much for "starting things" and "finding items" for us. This is just an old news item that has already been through the spin cycle. Lame!!
The remainder of the article makes good points about love with aging, but I smell the whiff of boomerism here. The cult of the young was more a cult of baby boomers, and the fads shifted with their age.
Now we have Dennis Hopper touting growing old gracelessly, while the NYTimes claims to discover that old people actually love just like regular people, only now it will be seen as better because boomers are doing it.
Always center stage.
I can't wait for the ways boomers do the funeral gig. Fonda: Hospice is way cool the new Hopi-Uzbeki-LSD way, at Fonda DeathTrips. Just $149.99 ...one way.
Pogo and vet66 (above) speak wisely.
Here is a good new website for caregiver children...
Caring.com
Conan, this first made it into the NYT yesterday, as the date on the story indicates. Yes the story has been circulating since last week, but not everyone reads every piece of news that's put out by every reporter out there.
Conan, start your own blog, call it Mr Perfect. Leave this one.
O'Connor must be terribly conflicted internally.
Simon's 7:07 comment: a perfect summation: a brave face indeed.
I hadn't seen the story until this morning. Since I read the web closely, I assume if I haven't seen it before, it's new to a lot of people. Especially something about the Supreme Court.
But Conan is bringing ugliness. He usually does, but it is especially ugly to bring it to this subject, which deserves a sensitive and respectful response.
Shame on you.
Given that she gave up her seat on the Supreme Court to care for her husband, this is a rather interesting turn of events.
Shame on you.
It's sort of a celebrity disease item, and is mostly entertainment to the consumers of it.
So I'm not sure that every poking at the balloon is wrongheaded just for being insensitive. It could be refusing just that bait.
It would be fairly unremarkable if it happened to a neighbor ; everybody expects to get sick and die, after all, and it would just be another way it could happen, and you'd leave them alone about it.
But the celebrity pays off in entertainment. Lady goes up, comes down while remaining up. An aspect that doesn't come up in the neighbor case.
Not suggesting that the Althouse haters are interesting or useful, just that shame for one thing ought not to confuse itself with shame for another.
At the age of 89, my grandfather was attracted to one of his not-all-there-any-more ward nurses, age 36, and announced plans to marry her. He had a hard time believing that he was married to my grandmother, who lived in another wing of the old folks home, because she looked so darn old.
Strong woman, Sandra Day O'Connor. As Pogo says, "she exhibits an admirable grace and forbearance in the face of sorrow. Much to admire here." Yes, indeed.
As anyone who has watched a relative sink into Alzheimers can only admire Sandra Day O'Connor. Eventually the person ceases to exist, leaving a shell. Yet they are still alive, but not the person you once know. While they have no idea who you are, they outwardly are the same person you knew, and if that person finds happiness with someone else, then opposing that relationship is for you, not your loved one. It is probably the best and hardest thing she could give him. Pretty impressive.
Post a Comment