Unconditional Love

My mother's mental decline due to Alzheimers and Dementia has been such heartache for me. She's still my mother, yet she isn't. We go to visit my parents and while she doesn't know I'm her daughter, she knows Groucho and her face lights up when she sees us. Groucho always looks after her when we visit, no matter what mood she is in. He sits by her, naps with her, and will growl at anyone who poses a threat to her (my brother found that out first hand!).   She loves to sit and pet him while we talk and feeds him tidbits from the table.Somehow his presence makes the whole experience more bearable. He gives unconditional love to my mother and to me. The lesson I have learned is to give my mother unconditional love and to be patient no matter what. You see, she knows there is something wrong, but doesn't know what it is. Groucho doesn't care that she's not all there, he loves her anyway. So do I.