These are objects that belong to my Grandma Bellino, who suffers from dementia. Each of them hold a spot in my memory growing up, but take on a complete new meaning today. They sit in her room, merely decorative - rarely used and rarely touched. To me they're frozen in a time in my mind when my grandmother was healthy. To her, I'm not even sure they hold any substantial value anymore. Most of the time I don't even think she realizes these objects exist, though she sees them several times a day. It's almost as though they've lost what defines them, and are now seen as just "things" - which parallels my grandmother in that her disease has taken over her life, leaving her mind fragmented and empty.
My grandma has always loved pearls and gold. I rarely remember her wearing any other kind of jewelry, and I always remember playing dress up with them. Now they sit in a dresser drawer, and I honestly don't think my grandmother remembers they are there.
This little statue has always been in my grandma's room for as long as I can remember.
My grandma used to sit in front of the mirror with her box full of bobby pins and these combs, setting her hair right before she went to bed. Now these combs sit in her room and have very minimal contact with my grandma. If she combs her hair, it's usually after my parents ask her to before leaving to go somewhere.
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