Reflections on Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
January is recognized in Canada as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
The journey of watching my father live with Alzheimer’s disease was a slow and difficult road. The devastation brought about by the disease not only impacted my father’s life but also deeply affected my mother, who devoted herself to his care. It was a painful experience to witness the toll it took on both of them.
Throughout his life, my father was a teacher—though not always within a classroom’s walls. He shared his knowledge and wisdom with a diverse range of people: high school and university students, business professionals, social workers, and children in foster care. Whether he was teaching physics, mathematics, human resources, or guidance counselling, countless individuals benefited from his insight and compassion.
In the last ten years of his life, dementia gradually robbed my father of much of his cognitive ability. Yet, even in this challenging season, he continued to teach those around him—his family, friends, and caregivers. He demonstrated the enduring value of human life and the importance of cherishing the present moment. His example reminded us that even when abilities fade, the essence and dignity of a person remain.
As I reflect on this experience, I see how God used my father’s illness and passing to shape us into better people and to deepen our trust in God’s goodness and provision.
The words of Jesus in John 9:3 resonate strongly: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
Through my father’s illness, God’s presence and purpose were revealed, teaching us lessons of faith, resilience, and the enduring power of love.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. That’s why glory matters.
Glory Matters 