What Wickson Means to Me: How the Library Helped My Husband and Me Through a Difficult Phase of Life

Over the course of the last few years, my husband and I (both in our mid-thirties) have found ourselves smack dab in the center of that dreaded generational sandwich- we have two young children who demand much of our attention and bandwidth, and we’ve also had to immerse ourselves in the difficult process of elder care planning for a family member.

To witness the mental and physical decline of someone you know and love is immensely difficult. To have no idea where to turn to even begin the process of getting them help is downright overwhelming. And for these reasons, we are so deeply grateful for Frankenmuth Wickson District Library.

Prior to taking on the role of Communications Librarian, I was just a patron who primarily utilized the library for my kids. (And boy oh boy are all the children’s resources and programs exceptional!) Anyways, on one such trip to the Children’s Wing, I happened to see a flyer for an upcoming Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Group. I took a copy home, showed my husband, and (despite my lifelong apprehension at showing up in rooms I’m unfamiliar with) stopped into the support group a few days later.

That meeting, on a Wednesday morning in the library’s Community Room, put my husband and I on a trajectory to better understand- and assist- our family member.

Since that day well over a year ago, my husband has attended a few more support group meetings and we’ve made tremendous strides for our loved one, utilizing the tools we gleaned from those we met in the group! In that time, Wickson has also implemented an additional program- the Memory Café- for people living with memory issues and their caregivers.

While this certainly isn’t everyone’s story of how Frankenmuth Wickson District Library helped them through a difficult phase of life, if the attendance at the monthly support group and Memory Café is any indication, it is the story of a sizable subset of our local population. They’re probably your neighbors. They’re my husband and me. And it’s so comforting to know that there are always friendly faces, helping hands, caring hearts, and free access to information available at the local library.

The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30am in the library’s Community Room. The Memory Café takes place on the last Wednesday of each month at 10am in the library’s Community Room.

Please feel welcome to drop in!