In a heartfelt account, Gavin Crawford, host of the CBC podcast Let’s Not Be Kidding, shares a poignant and amusing anecdote about his mother’s battle with memory loss. Back in 2018, Crawford noticed a significant change in his mother’s behavior as she lost interest in visiting the mall, a stark departure from her previous penchant for browsing without making any purchases.
Reflecting on her past mall escapades, Crawford humorously recalls a time when a gas leak evacuation failed to deter his mother from trying on clothes. Despite his attempts to coax her out, she remained unfazed, showcasing her shopping prowess akin to “the Serena Williams of browsing.”
As her memory declined, Crawford observed the gradual shift in his mother’s shopping habits, a subtle indicator of her worsening condition. During a Christmas visit, Crawford and his husband, Kyle, accompanied his mother to the Eaton Centre, where her disorientation and lack of shopping enthusiasm became more evident.
Despite the challenges posed by his mother’s Alzheimer’s, Crawford found solace in witnessing her delight at their elegantly decorated Christmas tree. Her repetitive admiration for the tree, coupled with her insistence on marketing the concept, brought both distress and joy to Crawford, highlighting the bittersweet moments of their shared experience.
While Alzheimer’s presented its hardships, Crawford cherished the fleeting moments of wonder and happiness his mother experienced during that holiday season. As he fondly recalls those memories, he credits Kyle for the tree’s creation, a simple yet profound gesture that brought light into his mother’s world amidst the darkness of her condition.