Everything Left to Remember
by Steph Jagger
Memoir. Themes: Anticipatory Grief, Caregiver Exhaustion, Travel
The story begins with an eyebrow-raising premise. After the author’s mother is formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, she plans a 2-week camping expedition although neither were experienced campers. From the outset, I expected My Mother, Our Memories and a Journey Through the Rocky Mountains to take a sharp, disastrous turn. Instead, it gently unfolds as this mother-daughter duo navigates their way through the two types of wilderness.
It’s no secret that I love a memoir, especially ones that carry an important message. Companioning dementia at end of life is infrequently discussed although increasingly common. Jagger’s first-person account perfectly exemplifies the burden and gift of caregiving as she comes to understand the vital essence of her mother after all the memories (and perhaps baggage) gets stripped away.
As the youngest of five, the author sets off on an ambitious journey hoping to know her mother for herself, answer any lingering questions before the opportunity is gone. What she finds looks a lot like herself and that pure essence of her mother that children seldom recognize in their parents.
I heartily recommend this book for anyone dealing with the brutal reality of dementia or those whose are harboring fear because of their family history. This work also lands well for those who enjoy poetry, travel writing and mother-daughter memoirs. No matter what draws you to this beautiful story, we are all left considering for ourselves what it means to have everything left to remember.