Stolen - Flowers for My Wife

On an early autumn day, I was walking the streets of my North Vancouver neighbourhood, and I couldn’t help but notice the still brilliant yet fading colours of the hydrangea flowers. While slightly frayed at the edges, they were still utterly stunning. They made me think of my wife. 

​

In February 2021, at the age of 55, my wife was formally diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s disease. I saw Alzheimer’s in those hydrangea flowers. When paired together, two blossoms took on a familiar look—one that my wife and I have seen in clinical digital outputs that have documented her gradually diminishing brain activity.  

​

Like the blossoms, delicate and fragile, the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s is deteriorating at the fringes. My wife is slowly being robbed of her memories, her past, and a future as well. So, I stole back from nature, stealthily taking the fading blossoms from my neighbours’ gardens. 

​

This collection of photos is a personal exploration of beauty and joy while dealing with a shared loss and grief that we live with every day.