Aging is a normal part of life but does not come without challenges. Memory loss, however, is not always an expected part of aging, and it can pose significant hardship to both the patient and their loved ones. Jessie and Evan Treski learn about those hardships as they navigate their grandmother’s memory loss in The Bell Bandit. As young people, Evan and Jessie have not had to encounter people with memory loss, especially someone close to them, and the siblings face different challenges associated with Grandma’s condition. Through navigating these challenges, Evan and Jessie learn coping strategies to continue connecting with their grandma. They also learn the important lesson that aging and memory loss cause significant changes in families, but love often remains.

Evan’s biggest struggle with Grandma’s memory loss is that she frequently forgets him but remembers Jessie and Mrs. Treski. Evan’s feelings are hurt even though he understands Grandma isn’t being intentionally hurtful. However, this challenge allows Evan to learn a valuable skill in working with someone with memory loss. The moments Grandma does not remember Evan cause her fear and confusion. Evan approaches these episodes from a place of empathy and understanding rather than trying to convince her of the truth in her moment of fear: “The truth made no sense as long as Grandma didn’t know who he was.