Asked to speak a full sentence while testing for dementia, her answer was unexpected

Recently, a saint from our midst died.

She had struggled for a number of years with dementia and had lived her last few months in a facility. Early on in her disease process, when she had her visit with a neurologist to find out if she did in fact have dementia, she was given a series of neurological exams. One of them involved having to say one complete sentence. It was said that once given the instruction by the doctor, Jean thought for a few seconds and then said, “All of life is beautiful.”

Jean’s answer speaks to the woman she was, the life she chose to lead; and her answer speaks to me. I confess that if I knew I was being examined for dementia, having some understanding of what that diagnosis would mean to me and my family, I’m pretty sure my complete sentence would not have looked or sounded at all like Jean’s.

I would not have the gentle state of mind to say what she said and instead would have focused on how there is in fact much of life that is not beautiful at all, including a diagnosis of dementia. Jean, however, was made of a stronger and more faithful constitution than I am and even in her final months when she was lost to such a horrible disease, I can attest to the fact that she still believed that all of life was still beautiful.

We are told by doctors that having a positive attitude does affect the conditions faced when dealing with a disease or illness. Ministers speak of the necessity for hope in faith, a confidence that every detail of our lives will be handled and attended to. And psychologists and social scientists can see the differences in productivity and success based upon an optimistic view of the world.

Still, it is not easy to remain positive, to take the high road instead of the low one, to give no power to the negative reports; but from my own experience I can say that trying to find the good in people and in the world around us, believing in the beauty of all creation can alter the lives we lead.

In Jean’s case, believing in such goodness did not keep her from Alzheimer’s. It did not hold back the suffering, the loss she faced when her husband died, the horrible experience of confusion; but I still believe it helped her. I believe that she was at peace in a way I would not be, comforted in a manner I might not recognize.

“All of life is beautiful,” she said and even in her suffering Jean found reason to sing, reason to be hospitable to those who visited her, reason to stay engaged with life.

She taught me well and I hope one day if I am ever asked to give a complete sentence, I will be to be able to see all of life as beautiful like our saint, Jean.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Asked to speak a full sentence while testing for dementia, her answer was unexpected."