Nicole Robichaud, a lawyer and caregiver in Ottawa, shares her experience with a long-standing family tradition involving a folk art calendar that holds sentimental value for her mother. The tradition of gifting this calendar to her mother each Christmas has been a constant for nearly three decades. Despite her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2015, the calendar remained a cherished item.
The progression of the disease led to changes in living arrangements for Robichaud’s parents, ultimately resulting in her mother moving to a memory care facility. As her mother’s condition deteriorated, she lost the ability to engage with the calendar as she once did. However, Robichaud continued to purchase the calendar annually, finding purpose and connection in sharing it with her mother.
While her mother’s cognitive decline made interactions challenging, Robichaud found solace in upholding this tradition that symbolized enduring love and family ties. The act of displaying the calendar in her mother’s living space was a way to maintain a sense of familiarity and comfort for her. Despite the limitations imposed by the disease, the calendar gift served as a means for Robichaud to express her spiritual beliefs and provide solace in the face of the challenges posed by Alzheimer’s.
Looking ahead to the upcoming year, Robichaud anticipates the continuation of this tradition, finding strength and hope in the simple yet meaningful act of sharing the folk art calendar with her mother.