Sentimental Journey

I recently made a trip to my home state where I was able to spend time with my daughter and my sister both together and separately.  It was a great time.  One day we visited an area of Baltimore which was where both my sister and I remember going to pick Dad up on the days Mom needed to use the one car.  My sister is 10 years older which often makes quite a bit of difference in the memories.  Dad worked for the B & O Railroad, so we were at Henderson’s Wharf in Fells Point.  Now the train house is a hotel with condos above.

What was notable is how we remembered through our dominant sense.  My sister had a vivid visual and taste memory recall of full ships at Henderson’s Wharf being unloaded; and extra bananas brought home.  I remembered the sound of the cobblestones that woke me as we got close to Dad’s work.  We both remembered the smell of spices from McCormick’s Spice or the smell of canned tomatoes or green beans from the local packing plants.

My daughter, decades younger, recalls parking in the area for local theater.  She too reflects on the cobblestones . .  they present a real problem for a set of heels. She recounts the fun of the local pubs’ and the satisfying taste of their craft beer selection.

A simple 15 minute walk where sensory memory shared brought three people closer together.

Author: Cate
Passionate about dementia care and quality of life throughout the last days of life----sums up Cate McCarty, Dr. Cate, Dementia Coach. With close to forty years of long-term care experience in nursing and recreation, a Master's in Thanatology and a PhD in Aging Studies, Dr. Cate seizes every opportunity to translate research into quality of life for individuals with dementia and all of us who have the honor to "rub elbows" with them.

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