THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE

Have you ever seen the delightful characters at Disney World

or noticed the mascots at ball games?

 As I watch them, it is easy to forget that what is on the outside is not what is on the inside.

They become real and I accept them by their outward appearance. It is easy to forget that there are people inside of the costume.

It is the people inside that make the character come to life. When the outer costume is taken off, it will lie lifeless on the floor. It is unable to walk and react on it's own. It can only come to life if there is someone on the inside of the costume that can enable the character to come to life.

This is what Alzheimer's disease does to a person. What you see on the outside is not what is on the inside.

Peggy looks much the same on the outside but there is little left of the Peggy that I knew on the inside.

The inside of Peggy has been taken over by Alzheimer's disease.  Alzheimer's disease does her walking, her thinking and her reasoning and is in control of all of her actions.

 She still looks like the Peggy that I knew but she is being matulipated from the inside.

Alzheimer's has taken over the inside of my sister. Alzheimer's has taken over her mind and is in total control of what she thinks, what she does and how she acts every day.

Alzheimer's is the only way that Peggy can come to life now. It is inside of her and has pushed the Peggy that I knew out.

When I look into Peggy's eyes, I no longer see her looking back at me.

I see the eyes of Alzheimer's.

I see the coldness of a monster that has taken over the person that was once my sister.

I miss the warmth that I used to see in Peggy's eyes. I miss her humor and her quick wit.

Peggy is no longer inside of her body. Alzheimer's disease moved in and Peggy is gone forever.

The next time that you see a character dressed as a cartoon or a mascot at a ball game, remember Alzheimer's and remember Peggy.

A person is on the inside of the costume making it dance, skip and flip or whatever it is doing.

 It is not really....real. It is not what it seems.

What is on the outside is not necessarily what is on the inside.

I Love You Today, Peggy!

I miss the person that you were on the inside.

Mary Louise