Stranger But so Familar

My husband, Anthony, passed away on February 6, 2009. We were married for 62 years.

My grandson, Stephen, wrote a beautiful poem about his grandfather's fight against Alzheimer's Disease.

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by Stephen Anzalone

He was so full of life,
He laughed all the time
Now he sits there in his chair
Drawing pictures at night.

I remember at a party
When he danced, he took the lead
He would tell stories about our family
Now when he looks at me

I see a stranger, but he’s still so familiar
His mind is slipping,
He’s desperately gripping onto his memories
The man who’s my grandfather is now a stranger
But he’s still so familiar to me

She looks at pictures, she thinks of forever
Now tears are running down her face
They’ve had good times, life was so right
Now he’s living in a different place

He’s a stranger, but he’s still so familiar.
His mind is slipping,
He’s desperately gripping onto his memories
He’s a stranger, but he’s still so familiar to the family.

Isn’t it sad how someone can fail so fast?
It happened just like that
It’s time to hold on
It’s time to be strong
Don’t let him forget the past.

He’s a stranger, but he’s still so familiar
His mind is slipping,
He’s desperately gripping onto his memories
Where is he, the stranger that was so familiar to me?