Veteran actress Caridad Sanchez, who started her showbiz career in the late '50s, recently captivated hearts in a different yet equally powerful manner.
On August 13, 2023, Caridad's daughter, Cathy Babao, took to Instagram to share an emotional anecdote that underscored the profound connection between a mother and her child, even in the face of cognitive decline.
Read: Caridad Sanchez’s son refutes sister’s claim about veteran actress: “Wala siyang dementia.”
Cathy recounted, "Mom gave me an unusual welcome today before our usual Sunday lunch. When we arrived, she pulled me close and hugged me very tight.
"She held me for what felt like an eternity like she didn’t want to let me go. It kind of scared me.
"Afterwards then she grabbed me by my right arm and pinched me so hard. What a grip!"
Despite being caught off guard, Cathy's heart swelled with a mixture of emotions: "Although it hurt so much, I took it as her expression of joy over seeing us today."
Dementia, a condition that seems to orchestrate its own reality, often leads Caridad to perceive Cathy through various lenses.
The roles shift seamlessly: "Sometimes mom thinks we are sisters, or that I’m her best friend.
"Occasionally, I’m still her daughter and she will call me by my childhood nickname, Kate."
Cathy, reflecting on this, wrote, "I’ve always said that in the dementia journey, it is only the mind that malfunctions but never the heart."
Seeking to jog her mother's memory as she always does, Cathy asked a simple yet profound question: “What are we? Who am I to you?”
Read: Caridad Sanchez has Dementia; daughter Cathy reveals, "My mother is fading"
It was at that moment that Caridad's response really moved Cathy.
"She looked me straight in the eye, in between bites of her favorite JT’s inasal," Cathy related.
"She replied, ‘Love. You are love. I love you very much.’
"I got so choked up. It was an answer that I did not expect. I held back my tears and said, ‘I love you too, mom.’"
While Cathy admits the "journey of loving and caring for a parent or a loved one with dementia is never easy," she believes there is hope and joy in such moments.
"There’s a reason why it’s called the long goodbye," she expressed.
"I believe that God in His infinite wisdom and goodness, grants us grace filled moments to soothe the heart to help us carry on."
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