31 for 21: Memories

*I've joined a blogging challenge for the month of October: Blog every day in October in honor of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month (Down syndrome is medically defined as Trisomy 21, and there are 31 days in October, hence the name 31 for 21). My posts will not necessarily be about Down syndrome, but I am writing as a person who 1) loves many people w/Down syndrome and other disabilities and 2) desires for others to be able to see what I see: remarkably unique people with much to offer to the world*

Memories are an interesting thing.  And my world is filled with people who have trouble retaining any of them, and people who store them for themselves and others.  Makes for an interesting life...

One of my clients at work has dementia, and it's significant.  There are times when it's immensely frustrating, like when she is entirely convinced that we told her we had lemon meriingue pie, and now we are refusing to give it to her.  She gets mean and nasty, and she refuses any logic.  There are also times when it's just amusing.  In the mornings when she arrives, she often says she feels like a celebrity because everyone knows her name!  She has no idea that she's spent days, weeks, months, even years with some of these people - to her they are complete strangers who have somehow learned her difficult French last name. 

This evening, I ended my day with a music therapy client on the other extreme.  This girl remembers everything, and it makes for some fascinating conversations. She knows the names of every Sea World killer whale, when they were born and died, and who's related to whom.  She knows the release date of movies and the age of their actors.  She has always kept track of all my goings-on, and SHE can actually tell ME things like when I had my last session with another client.  Today it seemed especially refreshing.  I have been so tired this week, and my final session of the day was like sitting down with an old friend, a friend who knows my past better than I do!