My paintings and sculptures explore my changing relationship with myself and with my mother as she succumbs to a brain disease called fronto-temporal degeneration. Hugging bodies reveal the simultaneous enmeshment and separation that occurs in caring for her. Dark humor and the use of exaggerated facial features allow for the expression of the layered emotions experienced in such an ambiguous loss: despair, longing, disbelief, and even hope. This focus on myself is not meant to lessen the importance of my mother’s experience of the disease, but to add to the discussion and awareness of what happens to those left behind to pick up the pieces. These works not only serve as preemptive memorials to my mother, but also stand as monuments to resilience and highlight how painting can serve as a proxy for reconnection.