To The Ladies of Willis/Moore

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To the mamas and the daughters, the future babies and friends that have become family. To the siblings, the in-laws and the souls that feel heavy…

This letter is to your broken heart.

I have tried countless times to write this to you. Wrote, then deleted... changed the words, changed the tone. I tried a stream of consciousness approach and I didn’t like that either. So, here I am - starting over and coming to terms with the fact that perhaps I don’t have the right words to commence a letter to the ladies who are where I have been. You are just starting out on a journey that I have taken. Our paths will likely look different, but the voyage will be the same.

I should tell you all now that I am no medical expert, I’m not a doctor. I am, though, a daughter who lost her dad to FTD. I am a woman (now a mama of two little boys) who watched her first love slowly lose himself, who had to let go of this larger-than-life person, piece by piece. It was excruciatingly difficult. It was scary and intimidating. And it challenged me in more ways than I could have ever imagined… 

But this letter isn’t about me. It’s about you. And your beautiful Bruce.

Since the news of Bruce's FTD diagnosis was released and circulated far and wide, we have been holding all of you so close to our hearts. We watched this small (but growing) FTD community speak openly about the light your family is bringing to this disease. Although some saw a shimmer of hope as FTD was burning a hole in search engines, discussed on news outlets and plastered all over social media, I just saw five daughters exposing the bittersweet emotions that FTD conjures up. I saw a family coming together in hopes of bringing awareness, advocacy and attention to FTD. I saw grace and compassion as you told the world about your sweet dad and his life changing diagnosis. And, beneath it all… I saw myself. I saw Maria, I saw my Mom and so many others who are walking this road alongside you.

I want you to know we are here with you.

FTD is brutal. It’s painful. It’s heartbreaking and confusing. It’s exceptionally unfair and because it’s progressive, it doesn’t stop. 

However, there is a flip side to the darkness. There is light. There is good, and, it is our hope that you can find it. Although there is no roadmap, no concrete stages and definitely not enough awareness and understanding - there is the sweetest, most delicate love. A love that conquers the silence, the strange behaviors and the constant state of change. 

And that love will never expire if you tend to it.

So… to the ladies of Willis/Moore, our hope is that you savor the sweet and send off the sour. We hope that you can always remember who your sweet dad was before FTD took the reins. We know there will be times that it’s difficult to see him in that light, but he is still him. 

Navigating this journey is overwhelming and depleting but, ladies, you have a big army of people who are walking beside you. Including us.

Thank you for your bravery in sharing Bruce - in his health and now in his illness. Thank you for openly talking about this disease and honoring your dad the way he should be honored. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for talking about FTD. Thank you for bringing light to the dark.

I hope you uncover the light on the hard days, rejoice in the brightness on the easy days and learn to accept the good. Always… always accept the good.

Sending my love, always…

Xx,

Rachael