Bert and Me: My Mother's Struggle to Live Life Gracefully - A Memoir

Phone calls from Pop returned. "Your mother is driving me crazy. You have to do something about her, Peter." Mom's moods were precise indicators of her behavior. When her mood turned sour, I prepared for some unusual behavior

Bert was my mom. She was born into a financially secure family with social influences and afforded superb educational opportunities. Mom came of age during challenging times of the '30s. She married my father, brought up three sons, and remained physically healthy for decades.

Something changed along the way. She acquired the propensity for "awfulizing"- she transitioned from mega mom to stressed mom; escalating toward a personality change. She struggled with aging, with frequent moves in retirement, with social isolation, with relationships, and with depression. Mental therapy proved less than successful.

The author's relationship with Bert is bittersweet. He recounts circumstances that contributed to her spiraling dementia as he is challenged to understand and be supportive. Bert and Me is a story of a mothers' struggle to live life gracefully.