About

Sundowning recounts the experience of observing a loved one suffer from dementia. Medical professionals use the term "sundowning" to refer to certain behaviors people with dementia often exhibit during the late afternoon and early evening. These behaviors can include increased confusion, agitation, anxiety, aggression, and restlessness. I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a dementia unit during college. During that time, I learned how difficult and draining it is watching someone you love change so much, knowing that there is nothing you can do to stop it. A few years later, my grandfather developed dementia. Towards the end of his life, I helped care for him as the only one in my family trained to do so. I think that dementia is something most people have dealt with in some way, but we tend not to talk about how heartbreaking it is to watch someone you know and love so deeply slowly decline. This is what inspired me to partner with my friend Shae, who also has her own personal experience with dementia, and create this piece of music.

Text

your hand in mine

clenching

breathe in, breathe out

as we recollect back to the now

​

time stands still each time I grow

but for you it ebbs and flows

and as your eyes flutter at me

my heart murmurs unevenly;

sundowning.

​

in and out

as the sun descends

you trail along with her;

i will guide you back

​

we pulse in sync

until the morrow robs you again

of the light in your eyes,

and the hope in mine

​

-Shae Lime