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Hello!
Last month, I went to Ohio to visit my Aunt Barbara, who is living with dementia. She struggled to remember who I was. At times she was agitated or seemed lost in her own thoughts. I brought along poemRENOVATION word blocks, but wasn't sure how she'd react to them.
“Now what do we do with these?” she asked when I spread a set out on the table.
“Anything you want,” I told her. “Do you see any words you like?”
She focused on the word pond, telling me she used to live near one, although she was never much of a swimmer.
The next day, she created phrases: “heaven and bird” and “angels and forest sing you flashing stars.”
“I like the way those sound,” she said.
“Me too,” I replied.
These interactions were a highlight of our visit. The words grounded Aunt Barb. They gave us a shared activity, opened the door to memories and conversation, and best of all, made her smile.
Throughout this month's Word on the Block you'll find words bringing people together in all sorts of ways -- at a kitchen table, a Memory Café and beyond.
Enjoy every word!
~Kelly de la Rocha
Founder, poemRENOVATION
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