14/09/2026
The Long Goodbye by Dick Underwood
You didn’t die just recently,
You died some time ago.
Although your body stayed a while,
And didn’t really know.
For you had got Alzheimer’s,
You failed to comprehend.
Your body went on living.
But your mind had reached its end.
So we’ve already said, “Goodbye”,
To the person that we knew.
The person that we truly loved,
The person that was you.
And so we meet again today,
To toast your body’s end.
For it was true and faithful,
Until right at the end.
And so, when we remember,
We’ll think of all the rest.
We’ll concentrate on earlier,
And remember all the best.
For in the real scheme of things,
Your illness wasn’t long.
Compared to all the happiness,
You brought your whole life long.
We think of you as yesterday,
When you were fit and well.
And when we’re asked about you,
It’s those things that we’ll tell.
And so we meet in remembrance,
Of a mind so fit and true.
We’re here to pay our last respects
To say that, “We love you”.
💜 For many families, grief begins long before a final goodbye.
Dick Underwood's "The Long Goodbye" beautifully captures the experience of loving someone through Alzheimer's, while reminding us that a person's life is defined not by their illness, but by the love, joy and memories they leave behind.
"Compared to all the happiness,
You brought your whole life long." 💜
