When memory fades and recognition falters

When memory fades and recognition falters. Mary Louise Bringle* (1953- ). Written for a friend whose mother was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and whose father, the primary caregiver, was growing increasingly frail. Bringle writes, ‘The text affirms that although our human memories fade and our human arms weaken, the memory and the arms of God uphold us everlasting’ (see her hymn collection, Joy and Wonder, Love and Longing, Chicago, 2002, p. 146). Bringle’s hymn gracefully and poignantly addresses a human condition that permeates society at all levels. The diseases of Alzheimer’s and dementia are increasingly a part of the lives of those who live longer and the caregivers who support...