Journey to the Valley of the Shadows
It just happened.
She entered the valley of the shadows.
I was watching. As an expectant,
astonished.
So unable to rescue her…
Her eyes, looking vaguely,
like trying to recognize
her surroundings,
blinking repeatedly
as an unconscious effort
to awake, to open her consciousness…
I was watching her
walking her journey
to the valley of the shadows…
Is a turmoil that absorbs her soul
and crushed her mind into the unconscious…
My wife suffers from ALZLHEIMER DISEASE!
It just happened, so unexpectedly.
Suddenly her brain, the limbic system,
the basal glanglia, her memory,
were the target of the evil mission
to destroy her neural arquitecture!
It just happened, so unexpectedly…
Never in my life should I imagined
Something like this currently happening.
Suddenly I became a “caregiver”.
Suddenly I learned about this treacherous disease
that steal the mind and the soul
of its victims…
During this years
I have tried to handle it.
To adapt to the sinister changes
that little by little erodes
Lucy’s means of existence…
But I was decided to fight back.
I had faith
I had hope…
I looked into the problem
I knocked doors…
We embarked in trials
and medications, even though
the disease continues progressing
slowly but uncontrollably.
I am watching her
walking her journey
into the valley of the shadows…
Meanwhile
we remain together
with the strength of our love,
waiting for the final stages
that will end in total darkness…
Meanwhile
we remain together,
and come to my mind
those moments of our life…
Moments of happiness.
Moments of joy.
Moments of struggle.
Moments of adversity.
Moments of perseverance…
We have the strength together
to successfully
complete the journey
to the brightness of light!…
It just happened.
She entered the valley of the shadows…
But don’t be afraid my darling
I will be with you,
I will walk this journey by your side
Until the end!
by Rafael A. Quiles Sr.,
Methuen, MA