I’ve been singing country songs at memory care homes this month. Of course, I had to include some Dolly Parton songs. I’m a big fan of her music, and I love singing songs like “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and ”9 to 5.”
Plus, I have a side gig tutoring children in their reading, so I love all the work done by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. What a blessing to so many children!
I’ve been ending this month’s singalong shows with “I Will Always Love You.” It’s such a beautiful song. Dolly Parton wrote it in 1973 as a farewell to her business partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner. It went #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Charts in both 1974 and 1982. Whitney Houston’s version of the song was a huge hit in the 1990s.
Extra Meaning
When you sing a song like this at a memory care home, it takes on extra layers of meaning. Dolly Parton’s lyrics beautifully express the feeling of losing something while also holding on to what remains. That’s how I view Alzheimer’s. It takes away some things, namely short-term memories. But many things remain.
I encourage caregivers – and anyone who loves someone living with dementia – to focus on all that remains. Yes, we need to grieve along the way. But even when a person can’t remember things that just happened, even when they can no longer communicate like they used to, that person still feels, still cares, still loves.
We can stay connected with people living with Alzheimer’s by daily renewing our commitment to see beyond the disease. The journey is difficult, with many challenges and surprises along the way. But we can still celebrate life and each little moment of joy and connection. And we can celebrate all the moments of life we have shared together.
It’s a choice and a commitment, and it’s worth it. Share these words today: “I will always love you.”