For the past 20 years, I’ve spent my life as a consultant, empowering women to honor their strengths and consider possibilities. I’ve coached, trained, and mentored—giving myself the title of “A Champion of Women.” Then in 2015 when my husband Larry was diagnosed with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s I found myself struggling to find any possibilities that were hopeful. All I heard was frightening descriptions of the downward progression from those who were supposed to help. 

They discounted the life of love, family, and career that I wasn’t ready to release. The professionals I spoke to seemed to forget that I was part of the dementia diagnosis as well as my husband. Different for sure, but no less a vital part of the equation. I was Larry’s wife and would always be by his side but I had to find my own voice and become my own champion as well as his advocate. I needed to be more than a caregiver. I was daring to live and daring to love.

 Because there was no story out there to help me, without realizing it I wrote my own. It’s a story that covers the five years from Larry’s diagnosis to his death. It’s honest, true, and hopefully inspiring. It might even put a smile on your face at times. I wasn’t perfect, but oh how I tried.

 I’ve said many times that I wish I could wrap each copy of this book in gift paper with a beautiful bow on top. Then hand it to those going through life with a partner who has dementia or another progressive illness—the gift I wish I had.

“Dementia is thief. The trick was not to let it rob me of everything.”

“My life couldn’t become an endurance test.”

“I had to stop asking, “Will we have enough time to . . .?” and start asking myself, “How can I make today a good one—for me, for Larry, and for both of us together?”

“It would have been so easy to become a lesser version of myself.”

Myrna Marofsky is a business consultant, author, mother, and grandmother. Growing up in a tight knit Jewish community in Minneapolis she had three career choices when she graduated high school in 1963—nurse, secretary, or teacher.  

She became an elementary teacher and ultimately served on the local school board after leaving the classroom. She has always remained a teacher in some capacity, continually encouraging others to find “aha” moments. A serial entrepreneur, she started a computer training company, ran a diversity consulting and training business, created diversity related products and training tools, wrote two business books, The Art of Diversity Training, and Getting Started With Mentoring, and started an organization to support women in growing their businesses.

For fun she manufactured travel backpacks for women and wrote a blog called Travel Like a Princess. Currently Myrna works as a chapter chair for the Women Presidents Organization where she facilitates peer groups of women business owners and leaders. Her favorite thing to do is make banana bread for her grandsons and then watch them enjoy it.