Because I am the Long Distance Caregiver in our family, I see Mom only on major holidays or when I manage a few days of extra vacation. The hard part is that I rarely see my family and miss them all the time. Yet the positive aspect is that I easily observe the changes in […]
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Since I am an author, I’m constantly looking into how research builds hope. Plus, “The Unraveling of Reverend G” and the rest of the books in my series deal with Alzheimers and dementia. So research is a must. I find it easy and enjoyable to do research. I study everything I can find about caregiving,
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As our loved ones journey through Alzheimers and/or dementia, it’s important that we keep in regular contact with the rest of the family. Even though we live hundreds of miles away, we still have a significant role to play. I call my sister each week and my brother about every other week. My sister is
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A friend recently encouraged me to define my role as a long-distance caregiver. How would a defined role help me deal with my guilt and anxiety whenever I drive away from Mom? But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Define my role and maybe even give myself a job
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Roxie, the stressed-out activities director at Cove Creek Assisted Living, wonders how to address a challenge in her life. She asks the only person she can really trust, one of her beloved residents – Reverend G. Reverend G was on her third trip around the hallways of Cove Creek, as she walked in her turquoise
A pocket of time separates Good Friday and Easter Sunday – a day we often ignore because we don’t celebrate that day – we just wait. We live through Saturday, anticipating Sunday. After the execution of Jesus, the disciples – both men and women – huddled together in fear. At least one of them, Peter,
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My personal tradition calls for a visit to the cemetery during Easter weekend. Somehow, the credibility of the resurrection needs to meet with the mortality of my ancestors. It is a Mennonite cemetery, on the same acre of land as the old hand-built church, crafted by men who wore beards and black hats. Many of
She accidentally became a nurse. Her life’s ambition and the prophecy from her high school yearbook stated that she would someday become a famous writer, weaving thousands of words into paragraphs and books. But World War II interrupted everyone’s plans, so she signed up to become an army nurse. The only way she could afford
We’re at the conclusion of our series on the lessons that Alzheimer’s Disease can teach us. A review includes: patience, each day counts, make positive memories and strongholds endure. Finally, we come to Part 5. Eternity Matters. We tend to live so intensely in the present, in our busy lives on earth that we sometimes
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We know that Alzheimer’s Disease can teach us several things: patience, the importance of each day and how we should make memories while we can. But another, rather negative lesson also surfaces. Strongholds endure. A stronghold is any type of behavior or attitude that has a strong hold on us. Sometimes, it is the result
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