Diamonds are forever

Another saga of dementia and loss! You must think we are a strange family. We are always losing things or should I say that mum is always losing things. This time it’s mum’s diamond earrings and she was very funny about them. Here’s the story…

There we were having a nice little chat on the phone when, with no introduction she said, “Do you remember my diamond earrings?” I said, “No, not really.”

“Well, I had to take them off and hide them because they kept falling out when I was wearing my winter hat.” They’ve obviously been hidden for a while, winter went on for so long that the earrings could have been missing for months.

Then Mum went on, in great detail, to say they are not those big diamonds like you have. She said she still has the ones that aren’t really diamonds and she knows those ones are in her jewellery box, in one of the little slots for earrings alongside the pearls which aren’t real either.

“You know, you have some of those diamonds that aren’t real, don’t you? Those big ones – you have them too.” I couldn’t help but add, “Actually mum I think mine are real, but let’s get back to yours.”

“Oh well, mine are only small but they are perfect diamonds so they are worth a lot of money.” I told the man next door when he asked me, “Yes, they are real, small but perfect, so I must not lose them.”

But sadly, of course, they are lost. And for a fleeting moment there was also the question of whether the man next door had them!

Seems they may be in the drawer, not sure which one, behind the bubble wrap but she hasn’t had time to look. Goodness knows why? It would only take a matter of seconds. Maybe mum just likes to have something to worry about and there hasn’t been much else going on this week. So perhaps she goes on worrying rather than looking.

We have had this conversation three times now and my sister has had it at least twice. Not sure if it is best to leave the responsibility with mum, after all they are her ‘perfect diamonds’, or go and look ourselves. It is so hard getting the balance right between independence and interfering.

Oh, and if there are any house burglars who think this is easy pickings just be aware that there is a lot of bubble wrap all around the house, hiding this and hiding that, and the popping would definitely catch you out!