Comfort In Writing

ABC News reported on April 14,1999, about a new study that found that patients with arthritis or asthma often got better writing about terrible experiences in their lives such as a car wreck or the death of a loved one.  A group of 112 patients spent a total of just one hour writing.  Four months later, nearly half of those who wrote about stressful events had improved significantly.

The study is believed to be the first to examine how writing about stressful events affects specific illnesses.  It was conducted at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, and it reinforces similar studies that have shown the health benefits for healthy people who wrote about stressful events.

- abcnews.go.com

I Remember You

Roger Zerbe, who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s disease, journaled this to his wife after a particularly troubling bout of forgetfulness.

Honey,
Today fear is taking over. The day is coming when all my memories of this life we share will be gone. You and the boys will be gone from me. I will lose you even as I am surrounded by you and your love. I don’t want to leave you. I want to grow old in the warmth of memories. Forgive me for leaving so slowly and painfully.

Blinking back tears, Becky wrote:

My sweet husband,
I will continue to go on loving you and caring for you — not because you know me or remember our life, but because I remember you. I will remember the man who proposed to me and told me he loved me, the look on his face when his children were born, the father he was, the way he loved our extended family. I’ll recall his love for riding, hiking, and reading; his tears at sentimental movies; the unexpected witty remarks; and how he held my hand while he prayed. I cherish the pleasure, obligation, commitment, and opportunity to care for you because I remember you!

 — Becky Zerbe, “Penning a Marriage,” 
Marriage Partnership (Spring 2006)