Gene Hackman and the value of checking in regularly

Gene Hackman smiled at me and told me in a fatherly way—I will never forget this—that I was “cute.” Now I feel sad to think of his last days. As someone who has agonized over the care of a mother with Alzheimer’s, it is especially hard to imagine someone alone for a week without help. Even those who appear to have resources, I suppose, need extra checking in. Perhaps that is the lesson here. If you know of a couple where one person is the main caregiver, it can't hurt to just check in. Ask if they need a break. Go for a walk. Have tea. Read more →