my mother, my cat and me

The Crown has become a bit of a lifesaver to me. Not literally, of course, but in two ways it has become a welcome port in the storm.

I’ve mentioned in past posts that it is challenging to find shows that my mother will both enjoy and be able to follow given her memory loss. Nature or other non-fiction programs, mysteries or shows that do not have story arcs that span episodes are the easiest to follow. Soap operas or shows that rely on developing long-term storylines are the hardest – Downton Abbey nearly drove me to strong drink! Mom tried, but just could not follow it – too many characters, too many plots, too complicated to explain it all. She enjoyed it on a superficial level, as one enjoys looking at the scenery or the fashions.

I didn’t watch The Crown season one when it initially aired but started season one when season two launched. When I decided to start watching The Crown, I was concerned that Mom would not be able to follow the story. Yet, it was somehow accessible. Churchill – a familiar name! Wallis Simpson – another familiar name! Elizabeth and Margaret – yep, those are familiar too. There were problems along the way – she could not keep Elizabeth and Margaret straight and the flipping between “past” and “present” within certain episodes was sometimes confusing. I’m not sure how much she understood about the overall story, but she enjoyed what was there.

We’ve recently started rewatching seasons one and two. One of the most gratifying things is that she remembers that we have watched it before! It is hard to convey how wonderful it is to hear the words “we’ve watched this before, haven’t we?” For anyone who is a caregiver to one who has lost so much of their memory, the words are full of sweetness and hope – maybe we have hit a plateau and the decline in capacity has finally stopped. Hope is important; reality is often challenging. 

The other way the The Crown has been a saving grace is that I’ve been watching season 3 with friends. Every week or so, we get together, drink wine and watch a couple of episodes. It’s been a nice break. Particularly since starting to work from home full-time, finding reasons to get out has become a new task on my list. At least when I was going into an office, I was engaged with people. That said, I would not trade working remotely, as it is so convenient and is truly a blessing. I just need to get out a bit more – take a walk, run errands, meet up with friends. It’s nice to be able to relax and step away from the daily routine. Since I can’t really go on vacation, this will have to do for now.