By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

As Ann Margaret Johns started to reflect back on the last few years, the Clarkston native said she was amazed at the resilience of the human spirit.
“The affects of the COVID-19 virus and the pandemic touched so many of our lives,” Johns said. “For my mother and me, the forced separation due to nursing home lockdowns was the hardest. My mother spent the last four years of her life battling Alzheimer’s Disease. I spent those same four years learning as much as I could about the disease and caregiving. Some of what I learned was from internet research, some from reading books, and some from talking with medical professionals, but most of what I learned was by trial and error.
“My hope is to help others who may be going through a similar journey, so I took the best of what I learned caring for my mom and wrote ‘Counting Steps.’”
Johns said her book can be of assistance for others going through the same experience with Alzheimer’s.
“Nothing prepared me for what life would be like caring for a person with dementia,” Johns said. “I’m an author, and my coping process is to write. I felt compelled to help others who may be facing similar situations, so I took the best of what I learned and wrote this book. ‘Counting Steps’ entertains like fiction while providing valuable insight into this terrible disease. I think this book would be helpful for anyone who finds themselves faced with caring for a loved one who is experiencing cognitive decline.
“If this book helps just one reader, it was worth the labor of love it took to write it.”
And in the nearly two and a half years since the pandemic took hold of society, Johns said her family dynamic has changed significantly.
“The lockdowns during the pandemic had life-changing implications on our family,” said Johns. “Where we once had unlimited and unrestricted visitation at the nursing home, we found ourselves not allowed to visit my mother at all. Caring for my mom had become such a large part of my life, and suddenly not being able to visit her was devastating. After months and months, one family member was allowed one 30-minute visit per week. I was so excited to see her, but sadly, Mom no longer remembered who I was. Her decline was rapid during those ‘missing’ months. She died shortly thereafter.
“It breaks my heart to think she may have felt I abandoned her and simply gave up.”
Johns graduated from Clarkston High School in 1980 and still calls the town home. Her grandparents were immigrants who established their American roots on Walters Lake. Her mother was born in 1935 and graduated from CHS in 1953.
“I have a lifetime of wonderful memories growing up in Clarkston – fishing, hunting, exploring the woods, and horseback riding with friends,” Johns said. “I consider myself fortunate to have had such a natural childhood in a town that once outlined its borders with family farms and open pastures. Those familiar with my first book, ‘Clarkston’s Curse,’ are also aware of my interest in the shadowy history that has played a part in the story of our beloved Clarkston.
“Some of those stories are still unfolding.”
The Yellow Dog Marketplace, 9861 Dixie Highway, is hosting a book reading of ‘Counting Steps’ on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. and both of Johns’ books will be available for purchase. Johns will be available to sign the books at the event as well.
For more information on Johns and her endeavors, follow Johns on Twitter at @annjohnsauthor or visit her official website at annmargaretjohns.com.

PHOTO: Clarkston resident Ann Margaret Johns took time during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for her mother and author a book on her firsthand experiences. Photo provided