Her husband is heading down
Jack's dementia path.
Confused,
Unstable,
Aggressive at times,
It's still legal for him to drive,
But he shouldn't.
She worries when she's away
From him, and
When she's with him too.
She wonders how they both
Will cope, and how bad things
Will get.
I remember the despair so well, but
I didn't have lots of answers
For her.
I listened and sympathized.
And I shared four simple words that
I repeated often during
Those days.
When her husband's behavior is
Bizarre, and his actions hurtful she
Can repeat them, too, to keep things
In perspective.
He can't help it.
He can't help it.
If he knew, he would be devastated,
So we tell ourselves
He can't help it.