Bruce Willis’ partner Emma Heming Willis has shared her experiences and struggles during the holiday season as she cares for her husband.
In anticipation of Christmas, Emma Heming Willis published an essay on her website discussing the current challenges she faces and the complex family situation she navigates.
The essay, titled ‘The Holidays Look Different Now’, sees Emma, 47, open up about the reality of caring for her husband, Bruce Willis, after his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
This uncommon form of dementia, typically seen in individuals between 45 to 65 years old, can manifest as personality shifts, language difficulties, problems with concentration and problem-solving, as well as memory loss.
The couple has two daughters, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn, 11.
Discussing the festive period spent together, Emma said: “When you’re caring for someone with dementia, that reflection can feel especially poignant. Traditions that once felt somewhat effortless require planning – lots of planning.
“Moments that once brought uncomplicated joy may arrive tangled in a web of grief. I know this because I’m living it. Yet despite that, there can still be meaning. There can still be warmth. There can still be joy.”
In her honest essay, Emma admitted to occasionally ‘harmlessly cursing Bruce’s name’ when overwhelmed by holiday tasks that ‘used to be his’. She clarified, “Not because I’m mad at him, never that, but because I miss the way he once led the holiday charge.”
Emma also mentioned the importance of relinquishing the preconceived notion of what holiday celebrations should be.
She highlighted that the ‘hardest part of the holidays’ might not be what most assume.
In her writing, she explained that as a caregiver, one of the toughest challenges is ‘the pressure, both external and internal, to make everything feel “normal”’.
She elaborated: “We’re surrounded by images of what the holidays are supposed to look like–perfectly decorated homes, lighthearted gatherings, smiling faces captured in matching pajamas.
“Even when we know these images are curated, they can still create a sense of failure and extra loss when our reality doesn’t match. When dementia is part of your family, ‘normal’ becomes a moving target.
“For a long time, I wanted the holidays to remain exactly as they were, as if this might protect us from what was happening. But I’m learning that flexibility isn’t giving up. It’s adapting.
“It’s choosing compassion and reality over perfection. It’s understanding that meaning doesn’t live in the size of the gathering or the polish of the day. It lives in presence.”
Despite the solemn theme of the essay, Emma concluded on a hopeful and encouraging note.
Addressing others who might also be facing health-related challenges during the holidays, she emphasized five key points:
Something truly worth keeping in mind as the year draws to a close and reflection sets in.