Why I have sympathy for Joe Biden’s family
By Donna Giles
No one can have failed to wonder what was going to happen in the American Presidential
race over the past few weeks, but now that Joe Biden has announced he will no longer be
the Democrat candidate, I sense I can probably relate to how the President’s family might
be feeling.
Now I obviously do not know the Bidens at all – and they will have no idea who I am – but I
have experienced the sadness of watching close family, in my case my dad and father – in –
law, slowly decline in health, both physically and mentally, as old age catches up with them.
You hold on to the memories of the person they were, whilst watching the person they are
becoming.
My dad passed away at the beginning of the year, and the time beforehand was difficult to
witness as his Alzheimer’s diagnosis slowly took hold and communication became more
difficult. Anyone who has a family member with dementia of any form will know the worry
and heartbreaking decisions that need to be taken. As a family, we are now faced with
making those decisions regarding my father – in – law.
Now, I’m not making any assumption about Joe Biden’s diagnosis, and, obviously, I have no
knowledge of any medical advice given by his doctors. What I do know is that, when seeing
the clips on the news, I felt a sadness that his mistakes were being played out for the world
to see. I could see his frailty, which only seemed to have increased after the Covid diagnosis,
and I wondered if his family were starting to feel the need to protect him and to hold him,
just as I had with my dad.
That feeling of wanting to stop time, but knowing that you couldn’t. That feeling of frustration that you couldn’t stop the decline. That feeling of helplessness when they are put in a situation that is too challenging for them.
That feeling of wanting to support them when they make a decision about how they want their life to be, desperate to ensure that it is the right one for them. I’m sure they must have turned all the
possible scenarios and outcomes over and over in their minds whilst trying to help President
Biden to come to the decision he eventually made.
Whilst deciding to no longer run for President and making the decision to go into a care
home, on the face of it appear very different, in fact they both require bravery and
commitment, not just from the person at the centre, but from the family who will be
supporting them post decision.
There’s a process of realisation and recognition that all have to go through in order to arrive at the best outcome, and that all takes time.
I don’t avidly follow American politics, but I do know how it feels to support elderly family
and that means I can have sympathy and empathy and wish the whole Biden family well.