Prayer for When a Loved One Faces Dementia (or Alzheimer’s)

מקור זיכרון ומשמעות

Makor Zicharon u’Mashma’ot

Source of Memory and Meaning,

I turn to You with a heart heavy with love.

My beloved—

once so full of stories, wisdom, and laughter—

now struggles to hold onto the moments we share.

His memories slip through his fingers like sand,

and I, too, feel the ache of his forgetting.

God of compassion, be with him in his unknowing.

Let him feel safe, even when the world feels unfamiliar.

Let him feel loved, even when he cannot say my name.

Let him feel peace, even as his mind drifts like a wandering stream.

And be with me, too.

Grant me patience when I am weary,

strength when my heart breaks,

and the grace to cherish what remains.

Help me to see the soul that still shines within,

the essence of who he is, untouched by time.

Elohai,

You who remember us always,

Hold us close in Your embrace,

So that even when memories fade,

Love endures.

Amen.