look closely: karen pryor still has so much to teach us
In 2021, as we celebrated Karen Pryor’s 90th birthday, we wrote about how, even amidst dementia, she continues to offer profound observations and insights about the world around her. In a recent article published in The Boston Globe, her daughter, Gale Pryor, reflects on her mother’s observations of her own fragmenting mind.
“We think of dementia as a descent into somewhere below, a dark and unknowable confusion,” Gale writes. “As I track my mother’s dementia, however, that metaphor feels inaccurate. She isn’t descending but distilling. As acquired interests and earned capabilities fade away, her lifelong quest to capture the good in the world with words remains. It’s the essence that was there in the beginning and now, it’s all that remains in the end.”
I do not mourn what my mother has lost but marvel at what remains.
“My mother has always looked for moments of goodness — moments she captured and celebrated,” Gale continues. “I do not mourn what my mother has lost but marvel at what remains.”
Read the full article. (Please note that visitors can enjoy limited free articles on BostonGlobe.com)