The holidays often bring warmth, laughter, and cherished routines—but what happens when everything you once took for granted begins to shift?
For Emma Heming Willis, this season serves as a poignant reminder of how fragile traditions can be, and how love endures even amid immense change.
Navigating the Holidays with Dementia
Just days before Christmas, Emma Heming Willis opened up about the emotional complexity of celebrating the holidays while caring for her husband, Bruce Willis, who lives with frontotemporal dementia.
Since Bruce’s diagnosis in 2022, Emma has been candid about the day-to-day challenges their family faces. In a heartfelt blog post, the 47-year-old described how familiar holiday traditions now require extra effort, planning, and emotional energy.
“The holidays act like a mirror,” she wrote, “reflecting the past, present, and the life we imagined. For families affected by dementia, that can be especially poignant.”
Emma explained that moments which once brought effortless joy can now feel tangled with grief and adjustment.
Despite the sadness, she emphasized that meaning and warmth are still possible.
“There can still be joy,” she said. “The holidays don’t disappear when dementia enters your life—they transform.”
Grieving the Present
One of the most difficult aspects, she noted, is grieving the changes while Bruce is still present.
“Grief isn’t only about death,” she reflected. “It’s about shifts, missing pieces of old routines, and altered roles.”
Emma reminisced about Bruce’s love for Christmas—the excitement, family gatherings, and little traditions. He once flipped pancakes in the morning, bundled the kids for outdoor fun, and provided a calm, steady presence.
“Dementia doesn’t erase those memories,” she said, “but it does create space between then and now. And that space can ache.”
Earlier this year, in September, Emma shared the difficult decision to move Bruce into a nearby single-story home with 24-hour care. It was a choice driven by his safety and well-being, but it carried emotional weight.
Adapting Traditions
Now, many simple holiday tasks fall to Emma—stringing lights, managing decorations, or handling what Bruce used to do. She admitted calling his name in light-hearted frustration, not out of anger, but because she misses his presence in those moments.
“He taught me well,” she said. “But I’m allowed to feel annoyed that things have changed.”
Her advice to others in similar situations is to embrace new realities and focus on creating fresh memories. This year, the family will still exchange gifts and enjoy breakfast together—though now Emma will make Bruce’s famous pancakes.
Conclusion
Emma Heming Willis’s reflections remind us that the holidays aren’t just about tradition—they’re about presence, love, and adaptation. Even when dementia reshapes daily life and familiar roles, meaningful moments can still be created. By embracing change, showing patience, and cherishing the connections that remain, families can find warmth, joy, and togetherness, even in the face of profound challenges.