Ivory River

The phone call came at 4:12 PM on a Tuesday.

It was a state trooper, calling from a Walmart parking lot in a town I'd never heard of. “Ma'am, we have a Margaret Kessler here. Is she your mother?”

I dropped my coffee. “Yes — is she okay? Where is she?”

“She's safe, ma'am. She's in the back of my cruiser with a bottle of water. We're in Mansfield, Ohio. She doesn't seem to know how she got here. She has your number on a card in her wallet.”

I sat down on the kitchen floor. Mansfield is sixty-two miles from my mother's house.

That morning, at around 9:30, my mother had gotten in her car to drive to the Kroger four blocks from her house to pick up bread, milk, and a can of cat food for Whiskers. That's it. A trip she'd made every week for the last forty-two years.

Six and a half hours later, she was in another county.

The trooper later told me that a Walmart employee on her smoke break had noticed an elderly woman sitting in the driver's seat of a Buick, engine off, just staring at the steering wheel. The woman had been there, motionless, for at least an hour. When the employee approached and gently asked if she was okay, my mother said: “I think I forgot what I'm doing here.”

That night, after I'd driven six hours round-trip to bring her home, after I'd sat with her at her kitchen table while she shook her head and said over and over “I just don't understand how I ended up there”, after I'd finally tucked her into her own bed and turned out the light —

I sat in my mother's living room and asked myself the question that I'm still asking eighteen months later:

What if next time, nobody finds her?

Most people never connect what's on their plate — or in their cup — to what's happening in their mind. But research now suggests that certain everyday foods and popular beverages — particularly those high in refined sugars, artificial additives, and ultra-processed ingredients — may quietly interfere with the brain's ability to maintain focus, recall, and mental clarity over time. Highly refined breads made from processed white flour, for example, are among the most commonly consumed foods linked to rapid blood sugar spikes — a pattern that, over time, researchers have associated with increased mental fatigue and difficulty sustaining focus.

In addition, certain natural foods traditionally associated with overall wellness have also been studied for their potential benefits to brain health. Honey, for example, contains antioxidant compounds that may help combat oxidative stress, while ginger is often linked to improved circulation and reduced inflammation in the body. Bananas are also recognized as a nutritious food that provides important vitamins and minerals, including potassium and vitamin B6, which play a role in supporting normal brain function and energy metabolism. Although they are not miracle solutions, ingredients like these have attracted growing interest for their possible role in supporting mental clarity, memory, and concentration when included as part of a balanced diet.

On the other hand, some commonly used medications have also been associated with effects on memory, concentration, and mental clarity — especially when used for long periods or without proper medical supervision. Certain medications for anxiety, insomnia, and allergies, for instance, may cause drowsiness, cognitive slowing, and difficulty focusing. Research also suggests that the excessive use of some pain relievers, antidepressants, and medications with anticholinergic effects may negatively influence cognitive function over time. While many of these medications are important and safe when properly prescribed, experts emphasize the importance of responsible use and medical guidance, particularly when symptoms such as brain fog, memory lapses, or persistent mental fatigue begin to appear.