Meeting the wife of an Alzheimer's patient on the trail

In the 'tramily' pack that I have been hiking with for the past week there's a tradition at the end of the day to go around and share your 'High, Low, and Ut-Oh of the day. So, Is like to share my high point of the day from yesterday.
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Today I had a very happy encounter on the side of a mountain. I met a brave woman named Mrs. Eleanor who loves hiking and many of the same things I do :) Eleanor was out for a day's walk with her hip pack and single hiking stick - her therapy, she called it. We crossed paths and she cheerily asked me, "Are you going all the way to Maine?" Well no, in fact I told her, I'm perfectly happy taking it on in sections. So we started our conversation with her telling me that it's just her out hiking since her husband has Alzheimer's and it isn't safe for him, as he gets easily confused and doesn't always want to leave the house anyway.. Mrs. Eleanor told me that they have been residents of nearby NC for a while and that she and her husband loved being outdoors. We bonded on many fleeting sorts of topics for at least 10-15 mins. She told me about the bears that get into her garage and I told her about what it was like to see the influence of climate flux in the subsistence farming community I recently moved from. She felt sincerely appreciative of the cause for Alzheimer's Disease awareness and The Longest Day Event idea of going out and making a memory in honor of something you love doing, especially something a loved one with Alzheimer's loves doing. I was touched when she told me about the 50th anniversary trip she took with her husband to the great national parks in the western US. Now, she reflects on those memories along with the advice that her husband's neurologist gave her to 'Keep your husband safe and take care of yourself.' I knew that she sometimes gets frustrated but her demeanor is so sedating, kind. So, every now and then, she takes time to go out into nature by herself and listen to the sounds of the birds and releases her fears, anger, and stress - as we all should do.

I am so touched by people like Mrs. Eleanor. She embodies the strength of every loved one and caregiver for patients (people) with Alzheimer's Disease. She makes me proud and hopeful to support such research and cause work that the Alzheimer's Association does. In finally passing, we agreed that our encounter was meant to happen and we bid our best wishes.

Thanks for recounting this precious trail moment with me and ... well, thanks for supporting the cause though my fundraising page!! If you haven't checked out, it's here: http://act.alz.org/goto/TakeAhike4ALZ

Keep Calm and Walk On,
B.