Emma Heming recently shared how her family is coping with the holidays while Bruce Willis lives with dementia. She wrote an essay on her website detailing the challenges and emotions of caregiving, dealing with loss, and adjusting to change.
Taylor Heming, 47, and actor Bruce Willis, 70, have been married for over ten years and share two daughters, 13-year-old Mabel Ray and 11-year-old Evelyn. In a recent essay, Heming shared that the holidays aren’t the same since Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, illnesses that have gradually altered their family’s everyday life.
Holidays are now bittersweet for her, filled with both happy memories and a sense of loss. As Heming explained, the season often makes us reflect on our past, present, and expectations. She also noted that celebrating traditions now requires more conscious effort and planning than it used to.
Things we used to do without thinking now take a lot of effort and preparation. And experiences that once made us simply happy can now be overshadowed by sadness.
Despite the challenges, Heming believes joy hasn’t disappeared entirely. Her family has discovered ways to find happiness in simple, everyday moments. As she explained, “Warmth and joy are still possible. Dementia changes the holidays, but it doesn’t erase them.”
As a total movie buff, I was really struck by something Heming said about grief. It’s not just about loss after someone’s gone, she explained – it can actually start while a loved one is still with us. She put it beautifully: grief isn’t limited to death, but to any kind of change and the confusing sense of loss that people dealing with long-term illness often experience. It’s about realizing things won’t turn out as you’d hoped, and losing the everyday rhythms and roles that used to define your life.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)
Heming fondly remembered Willis’s love for the holidays and how he used to be the heart of their family celebrations. “The holidays always remind me of Bruce being right in the middle of everything,” she shared. “He truly loved this time of year – the excitement, being with family, and all the traditions.”
She fondly remembered him as someone who always kept things lively and connected everyone. He was the one who made pancakes, played in the snow with the children, and was a reassuring, constant presence throughout the day.
She explained that while dementia doesn’t take away cherished memories, it can make it difficult to connect them to the present, creating a painful distance. She finds that even small things during the holidays can now bring on feelings of sadness, reminding her of how much has changed.
Heming also discussed the importance of not trying to recreate past holidays. She emphasized that changing your expectations isn’t a setback—it’s a healthy way to cope. As she put it, “It’s about being realistic and kind to yourself, rather than striving for something perfect.”
Heming’s essay provides a heartfelt and candid portrayal of how families cope with sickness, especially during important holidays and celebrations. It emphasizes both the heavy emotional burden faced by those providing care and the resilience needed to heal and remember loved ones.
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2025-12-26 18:45