Granddad with dementia said 'I don't know it' when asked to sing along 'Silent Night' with grandson—then a miracle happened
One of the greatest privileges we have is to remember the littlest to the greatest things. A smell, a name, a message or even a relationship, being able to recall and acknowledge how profound these seemingly mundane things are, is a blessing. Unfortunately, for people with dementia, this privilege is taken away a little too soon. A man who goes by @tracksuitopera shared that his grandpa had dementia and had forgotten a lot of precious memories from his life. When he was singing with the 98-year-old, he was told that his grandpa couldn’t remember the lyrics. However, when the man began to sing, his grandfather had the most beautiful response.
The grandson has been frequently sharing videos of his grandfather. Over his videos, he recalled how one of the poignant memories he had with the 98-year-old was that of singing with him on the piano. Though his grandpa was suffering from dementia, the man took it upon himself to ensure he kept the memories alive by playing and singing frequently for the elderly man. In this video, he mentioned that he wanted to sing the popular Christmas carol “Silent Night” with his grandpa. Unfortunately, he replied, “I don’t know it.” Nevertheless, the grandson decided to sing for him.
His grandpa was seated in a wheelchair, seemingly aloof from what was happening while the grandson began to play and sing. Two words into the song, the 98-year-old had a tear-jerking reaction. Almost as if by default, he began to sing the lyrics word for word and continued with his grandson. It was a serene and precious moment when the grandpa remembered nothing about the song but somewhere in his heart, something echoed and brought out the memory of the lyrics. The man continued to sing the carol with his old man beautifully harmonizing.
The rest of the video captured glimpses of the grandpa and grandson's previous Christmases and bonding moments. Some of the glimpses also included that of the boy very young, playing around during Christmas dinners as his grandpa looked at him in awe. Looking back at a younger and healthier granddad, it was heartbreaking to see him age. However, the love and perfection with which he sang proved that the love was very much instilled in his heart. “He did in fact know it,” the caption read. Over a series of videos, the man revealed that his grandpa was no longer with him. However, he kept his memory alive by singing to his family the medical staff and others who looked after him throughout.
“Time passes by quickly so sing this with someone you love this Christmas,” the man wrote in his video. A dementia carer, @at_0mic.ttv, revealed, “We lose factual memories first but hold on to the emotional link longer. There must be some link that helped him remember the song.” @dead_popelette_goodness said, “He doesn't remember the song but he remembers the memories connected with those words.” @minniewillow remarked, “You’ve got such a good heart to do this—holding the beautiful memories of your loved ones.” @hitormisslolman added, “This is so beautiful.”
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