I recall back to when I worked for Bethesda Heritage Center nursing home several years ago, that as part of our training, we were taught that those with Alzheimer's may fear their image in the mirror, not recognizing who that "old person" is, because as part of their memory regression, they view themselves as being much younger. I had seen a client experiencing that one day while working in their memory care unit. People with memory loss and/or Alzheimer’s can be very interesting to work with because their perceptions can be so much different than what you might expect.

It occurs to me that we, too, at times may have an inaccurate image of ourselves, perhaps unaware of how others perceive us; while at times the image we portray to others may be incongruent with how we really feel about ourselves. I call it: "The me that's me behind the me that they see."

Especially young adults may go through a period of “self discovery,” as they try to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. And again in middle age, people may again go through a period of self discovery, as they try to redefine who they are versus who they want to be at that juncture in their lives.

Ultimately when we’re old, we may again not know who we are, as the memory may fade and self-perception may be inaccurate. And yet I recall words spoken to me years ago, that the only perception of us that matters is God’s.

Regardless of our stage in life or our mentality, God knows us best, understands us best, loves us most, and thankfully always desires reconciliation with us.

Even if we fear that “old person” in the mirror that we may not recognize, we are always known to God.

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