Today is my mother’s 73rd birthday. But she has no real way of knowing it. You see, for many years now — more than a decade — she’s suffered from severe mental impairment. At first, the doctors didn’t now what to call it. Now they tell us it’s dementia.
It’s very very difficult for mom to communicate. Almost impossible. Except, for reasons nobody understands, every once in a while she’ll have a couple of lucid moments.
Anyhow, the articles I’ve gathered for you today are all things that reminded me of my mother.
Money trouble as an early sign of dementia. [Squared Away Blog] — “Researchers followed more than 81,000 men on Medicare for more than a decade and linked their medical records to their Equifax credit reports. The men who would eventually be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia started missing the due dates on their bills about six years before the diagnosis.”
Life is about what we can do for each other. [Ryan Holiday] — “We are here for each other, that we are here to make things better for others, for the next generation, that makes life meaningful and worth living. Because in doing so, we find happiness and respect for ourselves.”
How much should you have saved for retirement right now? [The College Investor] — “It’s fairly easy to know when you’ve reached certain financial goals such as building up your emergency fund or paying off your high-interest debt. But what about your retirement savings? Exactly how MUCH you should have saved for retirement right now or at any given point in life?” [Mom didn’t save much for retirement. Fortunately, our family business is acting as a retirement account for her.]
Grandparents gone viral. [Rest of World] — Social media isn’t just for young folks! Here’s a list of eight influencers who have spent their golden years racking up followers. From game-playing grandmothers to master carpenters to a couple of cooks, I enjoyed watching these videos of older vloggers from around the world.
Finally, because my mother loves cats (even now, when she lacks awareness about so many things), here’s my favorite cat video of the past month. And trust me: I watch a lot of them! It’s a quick 15-second clip of a woman training a cat to leap into her arms. I love it. I wish my cats would do this.
Cat jump from r/Catculations
Okay, that’s all for this Wednesday. I’ll see you tomorrow for more talk about money. Ta ta!