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Every poem begins with a memory. For Laurelwood at The Pinehills resident Dr. Dick Piotrowski, many of those memories begin with his wife, Nancy.

Their story started when Nancy was 15 and Dick was 17. She walked into the soda fountain where he worked, and Dick was immediately determined to learn who she was. After a little detective work to find out her name and where she lived, the two became inseparable.

Seven years later, they married and began building a life together. They raised two daughters while Dick worked long hours as an anesthesiologist. Through busy years of raising a family, weekends at the beach, and adventures that took them from Italy to Alaska, Nancy remained the steady presence at the heart of their family.

Decades into their life together, Nancy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

As Dick learned more about Alzheimer’s, he saw firsthand how deeply the disease affects not only the person diagnosed, but also the spouses, children, and caregivers beside them.

“There needs to be more education and awareness,” Dick shared. “People don’t learn about this disease until they have to, and how horrible is that? If sharing my story helps someone see Alzheimer’s in a different way, then it’s worth telling.”

Finding an Outlet in Writing

Nancy passed away in 2020, during a time when pandemic restrictions made an already painful loss even more isolating. Dick was unable to hold a traditional funeral or gather with loved ones to celebrate the life of the woman he had loved for more than half a century.

During that time, Dick’s daughter connected him with a grief counselor. Through conversations over the phone, she introduced him to poetry, writing prompts, and ways to put some of what he was feeling into words.

What started as a way to cope with grief soon became an important part of his healing.

“When I finally met her in person years later, I told her she had saved my life,” Dick recalled. “She told me that I had saved hers.”

Dick began drawing inspiration from the natural world around him, often finding ways to weave memories of Nancy into the scenes outside his window. Writing gave him a place to process his loss while also preserving pieces of the life they had shared.

One of his favorite poems tells the story of a snowwoman slowly melting away—a metaphor for his experience of watching someone he loved gradually change because of Alzheimer’s.

“If you read it slowly,” he said, “you’ll understand.”

Sharing What He’s Learned

Today, Dick continues to write and share his experiences in hopes that his words might resonate with another family navigating Alzheimer’s disease.

One subject he especially hopes to bring attention to is the experience of caregivers.

“The caregiver is often overlooked,” Dick said. “You have to treat caregiving like an occupation. Read everything you can. Learn about the disease.”

Since coming to Laurelwood, Dick has also found new connections that have helped him continue moving through grief while reflecting on his years with Nancy.

“The people here have taught me an even greater sense of empathy,” he shared. “Being surrounded by such caring people has given me a deeper appreciation for my wife and for everyone around me.”

For Dick, poetry has become much more than a creative hobby. It’s a place to hold onto memories, make sense of difficult experiences, and keep Nancy’s story close.

During Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, Dick hopes sharing a piece of their story encourages others to learn more about the disease before it touches their own lives—and reminds families already experiencing it that they aren’t alone in the complicated emotions that come with loving and caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.

His advice to those families comes from his own experience: “Persevere. Don’t give up.”