Aurora with Megan Ihnen and Darrel Hale

Over the past several years, I have lost four grandparents to Alzheimer’s or dementia. The difficult experience of watching them lose their way and forget my name over time was the inspiration for Aurora. The story is told from the perspective of someone suffering from the harsh realities of dementia. Uncertain of her surroundings, the singer asks inanimate objects, a light and a fan, “Who are you?” She is both confused by the objects’ purposes and startled by the strange noises they make. Later, when her granddaughter, Aurora, visits her, the singer has a moment of recognition, but then quickly forgets Aurora’s name again, calling her Athena. Finally, when death visits, the singer asks, once again, “who are you?” At this moment, her memory is restored, and she clearly sees her beloved, Aurora, as she “comes home” to rest. Aurora’s ending reflects the hope that I carry for my grandparents; though death will always triumph, bringing sadness to those of us who are left behind, I choose to believe reunion awaits on “another side,” whether it be through reincarnation, an after-life, or another unknown.