Old Timers and spelling

A favorite blog page which was saved from my old blog, and has given so much pleasure.

Some time ago my daughter Claire, tried to explain to our wonderful Grandchildren that I had Lewy Body Dementia, and thought the easiest way was to say that I had old timers illness, which sounded lovely. I found it hard when the children would treat me with kid gloves at times,but it was Claire's way of protecting me at times.

Last Monday we travelled down to London where we stayed over in a hotel for a night, before going to a meeting about Dementia. After this we headed off to our daughters in Farnborough in Hampshire where we stayed till Saturday.

During the week we walked to school with one Grandchild or the other as both girls are in different schools, but it was so nice when they hang on to your hand and talk to you and confess that at times it was very hard to take as I was starting to get emotional.

On the Thursday Claire had to take one daughter straight into town from school, to get her feet measured, and as things were going to be tight, and my wife was needed to keep an eye on the grandson who is the youngest and gets into everything.
So she asked if I would be alright going up to the school to pick up the youngest from the primary school which is about 1 1/2 miles away.

I have walked this route on may occasions, and enjoy the walk, as it is relaxing, so I agreed to do it.

Having got to the school, I waited as everyone came out, and the teacher looked at me and asked who I was waiting for, and I explained. I had seen my grand daughter wandering round the classroom, but she was in her own little world, and perhaps because she had not seen her mum she did not come out.

She asked where everyone was and I explained and said that we were walking home. On the way I asked what she had been doing at school and whether she had enjoyed herself. She was quiet at first, but then started talking about spellings, and how she sometimes gets things wrong or spelt the wrong way, as some words sound differently to the way they are spelt.
I said that I loved spelling when I was at school, but these days I can not always remember how words are spelt( and without spell check I would not be doing this, although sometimes spell check can not fathom out the words I am trying to spell) so I am stuck.

She looked up at me and said. But Grampy you have an excuse as you have old timers?

I confess that I was taken back by this and felt very tearful as this little girl of five had remembered this, and I felt very humbled that she was being so thoughtful in what she said, and for someone 5 year old that takes some imagination.

We had a long talk going home, and after she had changed out of her school uniform, she came back downstairs and started talking again, sounding so old for her age. As Claire has said on many occasions she is 5 year old, yet there are times she sounds more like 35.

I had trouble trying to explain this to my wife and Claire, because I was still close to tears, the effect had been something I had never expected, as it was so spontaneous.

So it proves that children can understand more about this illness that we accept, and possible think more about it than adults. 1 comment