Opening reception
The opening of my solo show of photographs from “I Still Do” was yesterday at the Andrea Meislin Gallery in New York. There was a wonderful turn-out and I loved every minute of the event. I was also very touched by the people who showed up: there were four women who were high school classmates of mine with whom I had been out-of-touch for fifty years; there was a friend of forty-six years who has seen the births and death in my family as I have in her’s; there were old friends and new friends—friends I’ve made in business, friends I’ve made through photography and friends I’ve gotten to know because of AD.
And then there were the strangers who became close friends for a few minutes during the reception. One of them was a lovely European gentleman by the name of Eytan. His wife was diagnosed with AD four years ago. We shared the pain of being married to someone with AD—the experience of trying to do your best, but never knowing if it’s good enough. Eytan and I connected during the short time we had together. And there was Natalie, a young woman whose father has AD. And Paul, the husband of a dear friend of mine who has dementia himself.
I was very pleased to see people connecting to, and through, the art; and coming together in the conviction that we want a world without AD.
judy:
the visit to your show was my first attempt to see the alzheimer’s world out side my home.the fact that the event was in an art gallry was very appealing to me as an architect and a gallery goer.
i expected that the show will be a sublime experience — non verbal communication,unlike some others and it was.
the photos and captions in the show said it all for me.
i was choked at the beginning seeing the images on the wall. than we spoke and i was uttering few sentences about myself. never the less our conversation was so meaningful! it made my visit worth while.. for an instant i felt on the receiving end as opposed to endless giving.
it made me want to continue on this path.
your project bares sweet and sad fruits and will live long.
Thank you so much for your very gracious words, Eytan. I’ve thought many times about our very brief conversation, and how few words were necessary to communicate our shared experience as AD caregivers and our connection as human beings. I want to think more about the importance and value of this deep bond we all share, and I hope to write about it on my blog. It’s an important part of our health and survival as social animals. The connection you and I had got me thinking about how special a deep connection can be—and how we don’t need to know each other for more than a few minutes to know we’re friends.
You know I wish you and your wife well. BTW, I looked at your website and your work is extremely beautiful and sensitive.
dear judy,
ifeel the same about our very brief encounter at your opening.some of the best things in life started in an instant.
i am looking forward to continue our introduction. we have a lot in common that we can share and compare.
please let me know if you are going to be at the gallery soon. i shall be glad to continue our conversation about our common interests.
best,eytan
Hi Eytan,
I’ll definitely let you know when there will be another event in New York; I’ve got many upcoming speeches and gallery shows, but they’re taking me to different cities. In the meantime, please stay in touch via this blog and I hope it leads you to a community of people who can be of comfort. I don’t know if you’ve tried to look for a support group in New York, but I would definitely recommend it. I was never much of a participant in formal groups, but I was lucky to find a wonderful support group in Southern California and it was extremely helpful. I know you bought a second copy of “I Still Do”—you might consider sharing it with family and friends so that they can better understand your situation; being a caregiver can leave you feeling very isolated.
Hello Judith!
I´m a brazilian woman, so if my english is not so good, I beg your pardon for it, bur I´ll try to make myself understandable.
I was caregiver of my mother for 17 years, those are the years that she suffered with AD.
Despite all this suffer, we can learn many things, and one of them is the discover of inconditional loving. Give love, and more love, as much as necessary to bring wellbeing, calm and security.
I´m looking for, here in Brazil (Santos), your book and I hope do find it. Beautyfull photos, they bring us the serenity nd love that you both have.
Congratulations for you courage and loving care.
Hi Molly,
You’re absolutely right about the fact that there are gifts that we, as caregivers, receive—as well as lessons to be learned that serve us well in all areas of our lives.
Thank you for your kind words about “I Still Do”—I’m pleased that you like the photographs. Are you able to get books from Amazon.com in Brazil? That might be the easiest way to get a copy. If you have trouble, please let me know and I’ll see if my publisher has a distributor in Brazil.
Thank you very much for contacting me—your mother was very fortunate to have you in her life.