hing. Her son had removed her wedding rings and watch for safety. I hadnÆt noticed the absence of personal jewelry before.
Finally, the staff indicated we could talk in the activity room. Mrs. Doe said that would be fine. I noticed that many of the residents appeared to either be asleep or staring into space and were not looking at TV at all. When she noticed me looking around, Mrs. Doe remarked ôThey just park us in here to get some sun. We canÆt go outside. ThereÆs no yard really, just the sidewalk.ö Initially, the predominant theme in Mrs. DoeÆs story appeared to be her roles as wife and mother and how those roles evolved and changed over the years. These roles were prominent in her narrative and identified significant segments of her life. However, the dominant images, stories, and issues she remembers revolve around three major periods in her life, her relationships with key people in her life at those times, and her view of herself and her self-image as perceived through her
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