Harden doesn’t want her mother to be defined by Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease won't be her mother's legacy. One of the biggest lessons that Harden learned from her mother’s diagnosis is to “live in the moment.” Alzheimer’s often strips patients of their past, and living in the moment becomes their only option.ħ. At the time, the actress was preparing to give birth to her first daughter, Eulala. Cherished memories can be created anywhere.ĭuring one particularly sweet passage in the book, Harden reflects on the “joyful chaos” of a happy memory of her mother teaching an Ikebana class to Harden's friends and neighbors in Venice Beach, California, in 1998. Years later, as Alzheimer’s began to set in, Harden asked her mother how she learned the vodka trick, to which she replied: “I know Wisteria love vodka because I have shared some with it.”ĥ. She even picked up an interesting hack of using vodka to help Wisteria flowers stay fresh longer. While living overseas, Harden’s mother learned the art of Japanese flower arrangements, known as Ikebana. Harden's mother was skilled in the ancient art of Japanese flower arrangements.
Harden’s mother taught her daughter how to submerge herself in diverse environments, which ultimately helped her muster the "courage" to audition for various roles and taught her how to sink into the world of different characters.Ĥ.
Located south of Tokyo, Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan and is known for its historical architecture and breathtaking botanical gardens.ģ. Harden learned a lot from her family's world travels.Īs a military family, the Hardens moved frequently and eventually landed in Yokohama, Japan, where Harden's father was stationed. The project was originally supposed to be a calendar book of flower arrangements that morphed into a memoir after a “series of events” (including her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis) changed Harden’s plans.Ģ. The Seasons of My Mother wasn't always a memoir. Check out seven heartwarming revelations from Harden’s book below.ġ.