Bob CollinsFrank and Mary Jo Havlak have been married for 63 years. Eight years ago, Mary started losing her memory. It’s Alzheimer’s. She’s still alive, but she’s gone now.
Frank still visits her every day, Joe Callendar writes in his latest Op-Doc for the New York Times.
“I believe one of the most basic acts of love is just to keep showing up, always and unconditionally,” he writes. “Sometimes the best you can do is to let somebody know they are loved, not alone, and not forgotten. My goal in making this film was to capture this simple act of love at the end of life. And so, before leaving town for Christmas in December 2015, I showed up at Grandpa Frank’s house with a suitcase and my camera gear, and stayed in the guest bedroom for three days. This is the film we made.”
It’s also today’s daily dose of sweetness.
