Cindy and I usually watch sitcoms for their lighthearted value, but when they are built on character development more serious episodes also occur. Recently we watched a sitcom episode where the father of one of the main character’s died. Cindy started to cry. I chided her for being a sap (we both know I have a tendency to cry at weddings and movies like The Pursuit of Happyness). She smiled a bit but continued to shed a few tears. As the day progressed she was subdued, leading me to wonder about a few things.
People with Alzheimer’s occasionally are in a fog, even delusional. I suspect the worse the present moment is for them the more their minds take them somewhere else. Yet when Cindy cries at a tender moment between fictional characters, or even when she involuntary waves back at the screen to say “hi” or “goodbye,” I wonder if her condition makes her more focused, more embedded in the scene, than for healthy folk. Despite my constant role as participant observer, I really don’t know.
I also wonder how the episode continued to impact Cindy throughout the day. Did the father’s death cut through her fog to make her vaguely aware of her impending death? Or was she concerned about her family, just as her tears during the episode were from empathy with the grieving son? Were both thoughts going through her mind? I really don’t know.
I also wonder whether I should know what goes through her mind at such times, or whether I’m better off to be left wondering. Once again, I really don’t know.
