A Recipe to Remember

Play #93 - A Recipe to Remember by Celeste Koehler

Monica and Deirdre are sisters whose mother is suffering from Alzheimers. Having agreed not to put her in a home, the women take Mother for three months at a time. Now, Deirdre has called Monica over in a frenzy, even though she still has three weeks to go. Mother has been particularly difficult, finally culminating in Deirdre and her husband realizing at an inopportune moment last night that they were not alone. They agree to start looking at homes, and Monica gives Deirdre the afternoon off. As she sits with her mother, she reminisces about when she taught them how to make apple sauce.

I tend to steer clear of stories about dementia or Alzheimer's, but I gave this one a shot anyway. It's really not bad, and pretty accurate in terms of the balance between despair and frustration and laughter that comes with dealing with such a cruel disease. The realationship between the sisters could have been clearer, but the final moment when Mother feeds Monica a spoonful of apple sauce just broke my heart.