Elma was a person who didn't like to dwell on the past. Unfortunately, one day she couldn't recall the past or even the present events. Elma became a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. The events are all true, but the story is told from Elma's point of view. The author makes suppositions on what Elma is thinking through these events based on Elma's character. Elma is the author's mother, so the author feels that these would have been her mother's thoughts. The effects of the Alzheimer's Disease were heartbreaking because of what was lost long before Elma left this world forever.