I had the privilege of accompanying extended family on a visit to a loved one in Memory Care, a euphemistic term for Dementia Care. No one likes that D-word or the A-word that’s even worse, i.e., Alzheimer’s. The loved one was in a deep state of sadness, crying and mumbling that “no one believes.” This was interspersed with “ashamed. I’m so ashamed.” The pain was real and at one point, the individual covered her ears and lowered her head in genuine agony. She flinched and pulled away from any touch. What a poignant moment! We can never know what is happening inside another person’s head or heart, whether they are healthy or in the throes of degenerative illness. What we

I recently had the extraordinary privilege of attending an event that has become a signature gathering for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Association Regional Milwaukee office called “Breaking the Silence.” Its purpose is to erase stigma associated with cognitive decline, provide a forum for talking about the realities and fears of dementia, and provide specific practical steps to learn about, identify, manage, and care for those afflicted with it. This year’s event focused on black men’s health and the importance of seeing a doctor, creating a relationship with a medical care team, “knowing your numbers,” and coming to grips with personal resistance in doing such things. During a panel discussion, Antonio Freeman, former wide receiver for Super Bowl winning Green Bay Packers,

Watching coverage of the splashdown of the Artemis II mission and seeing the crew on C-SPAN talking about their experiences immediately afterward was unexpectedly emotional. I saw sporadic updates throughout the mission but certainly was not watching non-stop while they were away from Mother Earth. What I did see when I caught clips was a group of four people who had incredible courage, genuine affection for one another, and a delightful sense of humor and playfulness even as they conducted experiments and captured measurements and videographic evidence of their voyage nearly three thousand miles from home. I was moved, sometimes to tears, and I asked myself, “Why?” I had no glib answers. What I saw were four real humans taking