Wife finds husband's 'last message' before he lost his memory to Alzheimer's: 'I never forget how...'

A moving note from a father with Alzheimer’s is striking a deep emotional chord on Reddit after u/SpiceCreamcicle shared it. The post featured a simple yellow sticky note with shaky handwriting that read: "P.S. I forget a lot of things, but I never forget how wonderful you are. Love, Joseph." The user explained the note was discovered by their mom, long after Alzheimer’s had taken away their father’s ability to communicate. Posted almost seven years ago, the post has gained 15,000 upvotes and 298 so far.

For those who have witnessed a loved one decline from the disease, the note’s emotional clarity was not only a rare moment of coherence, but as a lasting expression of love from someone slowly losing himself. Moments like that carry even more weight when placed in context. Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 7 million Americans aged 65 and older —  a number expected to nearly double by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. While it progresses at different rates, most patients experience a gradual erosion of memory, speech, and recognition through three stages: mild confusion, moderate disorientation, and finally, severe cognitive loss. In the late stages, many lose the ability to speak or write altogether, which is why a message like Joseph’s becomes something to hold onto.

People were deeply moved by the heartwarming yet heartbreaking note and shared their own experience in the thick of caregiving or grieving. u/bookish0378 wrote, "My grandpa has Alzheimer's. He’s my best friend. I see small parts of him lately in his eyes. When I give him a hug, he looks me in the eye and tells me he loves me still. It's the most sincere 'I love you' from a man who is now emotionless. I hold on to that hug and 'I love you' for as long as I can. Thank you for this note. It looks a lot like my grandpa’s handwriting. Thank you." u/DiscusFever shared, "My mom is on the fast downward spiral lately. Keeps forgetting she took her insulin and takes extra. Been to the hospital a couple of times recently because of it. I've been having to come to terms with the fact that she is really already gone. I honestly don't know how my dad is dealing with it. They've been married 48 years."

u/forlorn_pupper added, "That's so sweet. Your family is in my thoughts. I'm sitting with my mom, who is in the end stages of Alzheimer's, right now. Luckily, she probably doesn't have to suffer much longer. It's so hard to watch the people we love go through this. Unimaginable." Some responses reflected the emotional toll the disease takes on entire families. u/katmonday quipped, "I am so, so sorry for your loss, my heart just broke for you, your mum, and your dad. Alzheimer's is so awful. Much love to you all." And u/thebarwench expressed a different kind of grief, "It should be legal to end your life at a certain point of Alzheimer's with the proper paperwork. Nobody should have to die like that. It runs in my family, and I would feel undignified dying like that. It's not fair."