It happens every time. As soon as I turn away from my mother’s door in assisted living and walk down the hallway – away from her, the emotions hit me. You’d think I would be used to them by now. For ten years my family struggled with Dad’s dementia and all the accompanying emotions. […]
3 Inevitable Emotions of Caregiving Read More »
When a family is dealing with Alzheimer’s, holiday memories often center around the good times and particularly – food. One of my favorite memories is making peppernuts with Mom. The smell of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon merged together with enough flour to break my arm when I stirred the giant bowl full of dough. We
The Secret to Our Family Peppernuts Read More »
How should we deal with our Alzheimer’s loved one during the holidays? The calendar reminds us that Thanksgiving is only a week away and soon after comes Christmas. As much as we enjoy the family time, the abundance of good food and the reminders to be thankful – we also have to remember how stressful
7 Holiday Tips for Dealing with Alzheimer’s Read More »
Amy Bovaird suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive vision disorder. Yet she is the primary caregiver for her aging mother. Below is an example of how Amy finds hope in her daily adventures – even in a pair of pink slippers. “Make sure you don’t drop my hearing aids,” my mother warned, as she did
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People either laugh at me or stare when I tell them about my holy naps. I guard my Sabbath. Because I work about 60 hours/week and much of that involves ministry, I need to observe the 4th Commandment. I desperately need rest on Sundays. Yes, I go to church and then usually, I spend some
Rejuvenate with the Holy Nap Read More »
We’ve done life together, these five women and I. Once part of the same church fellowship, we became a team. They interceded for me and supported me when I served as international minister at KU. They continue to intercede and support me in my ministries as writer and life coach. We’ve laughed together and cried
I know better. I even teach how to do it better – how to live a creative life that feeds on play. Yet recently, the stresses of life gained the advantage and play disappeared. It was all I could do to get up in the morning and look at my longer-than-ever list of tasks that
Finding Hope When Stress Unravels Read More »
Today I welcome a guest post by Sharon Garlock Spiegel, author of the newly-released book, “Generations.” http://www.crossrivermedia.com/Generations.htmlsha Edward Garlock’s progression from a fun-loving kid at age nine—to a raging abusive drunk at age forty-four didn’t happen overnight. His craving for alcohol escalated and his personality deteriorated. While his wife prayed for him, his children
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The shadows of the autumn leaves dance across the blinds in my office. I enjoy this extraordinary moment of now. With the changing of the season, I revel in the colors and textures – reds, oranges, golds – blended with the green leftovers of summer. The crunch of tiny acorns under my walking shoes, a
Shadows of Alzheimer’s Read More »
Dear Mom, This week, a thank you card will be delivered to you. The card is from me, your daughter – Rebecca. You may wonder why I sent you a thank you card. October is my birthday month, and it’s okay, Mom, that you didn’t remember. Sometimes I, too, can hardly believe another year has