When Alzheimer’s Bids Adieu: Glen Campbell Says Goodbye in Song

The beloved legendary song master Glen Campbell released his farewell album entitled “Adiós” on Friday, June 9, 2017. Adiós was recorded in 2012, not long after Glen was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. It features Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, and Vince Gill, as well as Glen’s talented daughter, Ashley.  Glen is well-known for his savory list of hits which includes Gentle on My Mind, Rhinestone Cowboy, Galveston, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Southern Nights, and Dreams of the Everyday Housewife. However, his farewell album features the songs he loved and never previously recorded. Glen is now in the late stages of Alzheimer’s.

What brings me to tears is that the Campbell’s family story is so similar to many of us who have loved and caregiven for family members with Alzheimer’s. It’s a vicious diseases that steals memories of the past and moments for the future. But by being a caregiver for my mom, I discovered I could parlay sadness and loss into collateral beauty—I got to live out my life with Mom for three years in extraordinary richness. I was able to return to her the compassionate commitment she gave to my life. I got to hold her like she held me—emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

READ BELOW FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO ENTER FOR CHANCES TO WIN A CD OF GLEN CAMPBELL’S FAREWELL ALBUM “ADIÓS”.

It’s been nearly a year since Alzheimer’s relinquished my mom to her heavenly home. The “one-year anniversaries” are starting to complete a full circle. But I have the three hardest yet to come.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Last year for my birthday, my mama and I cuddled side-by-side under a blanket on a small couch in the day room of the hospital where she had been admitted days earlier. Her new medications made her very sleepy. We held hands as she gently fell asleep on my shoulder. I held her in my arms as she used to hold me in hers. As she lightly snored, finally finding moments of restful sleep, I knew it would be my last birthday with her. I breathed in every minute, every second of our hour on the couch. Tomorrow is the first birthday in 59 years where I won’t hear my mama’s voice wishing me a happy birthday.

June 25 would have been my mama’s 83rd birthday—I will still sing her the happy birthday song.

And June 30 marks the final “one-year anniversary” when I begged the emergency room doctor to release my mama from the anguish of Alzheimer’s when her heart stopped. June 30 was Mom’s new birthday in heaven. My greatest loss was heaven’s richest gain. Despite standing on God’s promises and being fully equipped in His spiritual armor, then AND now, the sadness over not being able to hear her voice, pick up the phone to call her, take her to church, and see her eyes sparkle and her smile penetrate my heart has made this one of the hardest journeys of my life, except when I am reminded that God’s grace alone carried me through it all. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and it is equipped and ready for Him to carry all or some of the burden(s) we carry (Matthew 11:30).

Part of me wants to just hunker down with a box of tissues and reside in my loss. But I will strive to release it. God carried our family through the battlefield of this disease as our “Commander-in-Chief,” and His victory is where ultimate healing resides. I will slumber in His arms and allow His yoke to guide me through the next couple of weeks. And He will graciously remind me that He gave Mom to me for a time to be my life partner and angel on earth. June 30 marks a grace-filled day.

For the Glen Campbell family, they parlayed the ugly diagnosis of Alzheimer’s into a touching memoir of his life through his new album, Adiós. Family members and family friends coached Glen through the creation of a tender and poignant farewell for his pinnacle career. He couldn’t remember the lyrics very well, but with the loving assistance of loved ones, his tender voice could one last time grace the recording studio. Adiós is beyond a “swan song.” It is a love gift to his fans—as well as those touched by Alzheimer’s—and filled with the magic of collateral beauty.

See the following links to stories about Adiós:

http://www.glencampbell.com

http://newsok.com/article/5552217

http://wbgo.org/post/help-friends-and-family-glen-campbell-says-adi-s#stream/0

ENTER NOW:  CONTEST RULES FOR CHANCES TO WIN GLEN CAMPBELL’S NEW Adiós CD:

Cheryl Crofoot Knapp has paid for prizes, sales tax, and shipping. Winners’ names may be made public on www.cherylcrofootknapp.com and/or Facebook.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each winner will receive one (1) CD of Adiós by Glen Campbell. No exchanges or cash awards. However, a winner may substitute the prize for a paperback copy of UNDEFEATED INNOCENCE. This giveaway started June 11, 2017, and ends June 30, 2017 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be determined in a random drawing to be conducted on July 17, 2017.

HOW TO ENTER–Each contestant is eligible to enter one (1) time in one or all of the four chances stated below. Each contestant is thus eligible for up to four chances to win one of three Adiós CDs. Ways to enter:

1. Write a verified purchase review for publication on Amazon.com of the book, UNDEFEATED INNOCENCE. Amazon.com requires purchase of UNDEFEATED INNOCENCE. Family members of Cheryl Crofoot Knapp are not eligible by Amazon.com to write and publish on Amazon.com a verified purchase review. Go to Amazon.com, search for UNDEFEATED INNOCENCE, and scroll down in order to enter a review.

2. Write a review for publication on www.cherylcrofootknapp.com of UNDEFEATED INNOCENCE. Contestant must have read the book. All contestants are eligible. Submit review for inclusion by email (cheryl@cherylcrofootknapp.com).

3. “LIKE” the Facebook page for “Cheryl Crofoot Knapp – Author” at https://www.facebook.com/cherylcrofootknapp/. All contestants who previously chose to “LIKE” the Facebook page for “Cheryl Crofoot Knapp – Author” are automatically entered in the contest.

4. Become an official confirmed  “subscriber” on www.cherylcrofootknapp.com. Enter your first and last name and your email address in the sidebar on the right-hand side of the website. When you receive a subscriber email, confirm as directed and send. Cheryl Crofoot Knapp will not sell or exchange emails or subscriber list. All contestants who previously subscribed to www.cherylcrofootknapp.com are automatically entered in the contest.