The Things We Keep Quotes

“I like it when people remember that I'm a person, not just a person with Alzheimer's.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“When you get to my age,' he says, his face softening, 'you don't waste time with regrets. In the end, you just remember the moments of joy. When all is said and done, those are the things we keep.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“I never had a good answer to Mom's question. 'If I don't remember, will I have been here at all?' But maybe her question was flawed. Maybe it doesn't matter what you remember. Maybe if someone else remembers and speaks your name, you were here.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“You might start something on a lie, or finish it on a lie, but that doesn't mean that everything in the middle isn't the truth.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“It’s funny, even though we’ve just been discussing dementia-related stuff, for the last few minutes, it didn’t feel like either of us had dementia. It felt like we were just a guy and a girl, discussing life.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“What's the point in having a mentally ill aunt if she can't buy you a Nerf Super Soaker Electrostorm Blaster?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Sorry isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. What matters is action. Righting the wrongs. You know what I mean?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Maybe it doesn’t matter what you remember. Maybe if someone else remembers and speaks your name, you were here.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Now imagine that when you open your eyes, you’re in a completely unfamiliar place. You don’t recognize anything, you don’t recognize me, and you can’t find anyone you know. You’re scared and confused and disoriented. You ask to be taken home, and someone you don’t recognize tells you this is your home and you’re not going anywhere. Every time you ask for your mother, someone tells you she is dead. And because you can’t retain that information for long, you have to hear it again and again and again. How would that make you feel?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“We can make each moment frightening for her with the truth. Or we can lie to her and make each moment happy and joyous. I know what I’d prefer if it were me.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Dementia steals things—memories, speech, other abilities. But I don’t think it changes who you are, or who you love.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“But sometimes the best way to look after other people is to look after yourself.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“love is more like a river—it wants to flow. And if one path is blocked off, it simply finds another.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“It takes a special kind of person to make someone else great,” Mother said to me in the early days with Richard. “To lift them up and help them achieve their dreams.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“When you get to my age,” he says, his face softening, “you don’t waste time with regrets. In the end, you just remember the moments of joy. When all is said and done, those are the things we keep.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Something a lot of people don’t understand about Alzheimer’s is that while you won’t find Alzheimer’s listed as the cause of death on my death certificate, it will kill me. Trouble going to the bathroom will lead to bladder infections. Problems with swallowing may make it hard to eat. Less mobility will result in blood clots. And if I’m not eating and not moving while fighting infections and pneumonia, guess what? I’m on a one-way street to God’s waiting room.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“I’m back in my spot by the window, sitting in my chair, looking into the dark night. I wonder if, after I’m gone, there will be an imprint left in this chair. A marker that I was once here. I won’t leave much else in the way of markers. No money. No friends. No children.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Tell him that even if he’s right, you’d rather have a year of true happiness than die without knowing what happiness is.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Everyone wants me to be happy here. If I’m happy, they don’t have to feel guilty.
Eric rests his hand dangerously close to my thigh. “Give us a chance, Anna. I won’t pretend I know what it’s like to be you. But I do know that your brother didn’t put you in here to wither away and die in your room. There’s still a lot of life to be lived, but you need to stay in the game.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Anna,” he says, “I know you’re scared.”

“Scared?” I snort, but then my vision starts to blur. I am scared. One thing about being a twin is that you get used to having someone right by your side whenever you want them. But in a moment, Jack’s going to leave. And I’m going to be alone.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“I like it when people remember that I’m a person, not just a person with Alzheimer’s.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“If I don’t remember, will I have been here at all?” But maybe her question was flawed. Maybe it doesn’t matter what you remember. Maybe if someone else remembers and speaks your name, you were here.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“A few months ago, presented with the knowledge that life wasn't going to be what I'd planned, I wanted to check out, close the book. But now, it's like suddenly I've found a few more pages. And it feels like, against all likelihood, the last chapter might be the best one of all. The last chapter, in fact might be something great.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Life is too short not to kiss.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“into my room. *   *   * The last time I had sex was the night I left my husband. I packed my bags while he was at work and loaded most of them into the car. The furniture, the mementos, everything except my clothes was his to keep—where I was going, I wouldn’t need them. Then I waited in the hallway, sitting on a suitcase. Aiden arrived home at the usual time. The door jammed on my suitcase as he flicked on the light. “Hey,” he said, “what are you doing?” “Leaving you,” I said. Aiden continued hooking his coat on the hall tree. “Oh yeah?” “Mmm-hmm,” I said. “You seem to be taking it well.” He turned, taking in my suitcase and somber expression. “You’re … serious?” I’d never threatened to leave him before, but we had a certain way of talking, a light way, that made everything seem like a joke. As I held his gaze and nodded, realization dawned. “Shit, Anna.” He raked his hands through his hair. “I know we have problems but—” “I have Alzheimer”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep

“Good!”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep