Living with Alzheimers and/or dementia causes a host of emotions—especially for caregivers. Mom’s emotions aren’t that difficult. She lives in a contented land where all she has to worry about is where she put her teeth during the night and can she find her underwear the next day. Even then, somebody helps her with those […]
Long Distance Caregiving – Emotional Dynamics Read More »
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
Long Distance Caregiving Read More »
Every towel in Mom’s house was worn thin and bleached out. Drying off after a shower felt like rubbing sandpaper all over my body – great for exfoliation, not so great for comfort. So I decided to update my mother’s towels. I bought Mom a beautiful set of pastel blue towels, embroidered with a band
Saga of the Towels Read More »
Since Mom moved to the assisted living facility, I travel to Oklahoma more often than before. Each time, it’s an adventure in praying for the car to make it, treating myself to a hot chai and hoping that gas prices don’t go up again. But each time, it’s also an opportunity to worship God for
Last Christmas, I drove to Oklahoma to visit my relatives and celebrate the holiday. At a rest stop, I filled up my mug with chai tea, then stretched my legs and browsed through the gift shop. On a swivel display, several colorful magnets stood out – one in particular. It was a pansy, the purple
We used to chat for at least 30 minutes about recipes, her grandson or my latest writing project. She asked me about life in Kansas, and I listened to her descriptions of life in Oklahoma. We discussed the weather because it affected the various crops, and she knew the farm life still flowed through my
All my life, Mom made my birthday special. One year, she made the most decadent gooey chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I walked into the house after a long basketball practice, plopped into my chair at the kitchen table and eagerly sliced a piece of that wonderful cake. It tasted like love. During my first
On a beautiful evening in August, we launched “The Unraveling of Reverend G.” Some writers don’t like to mess with a book launch—too much work when they’d rather be in front of the keyboard, creating fascinating plots and characters. My incredible marketing team helped put the evening together. Genie, Melissa, Tricia and Patti. Then at
Book Launch Benefits Read More »
Keep Laughing. We all know the importance of humor and how it helps us stay healthy. Even though dementia and Alzheimer’s represent horrid struggles of memory loss and personality change, we can still look for the humor and keep laughing. My family lives on an Oklahoma farm where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains
Tip # 3 for Caregivers Read More »
We sit together in church, my mother holds her Bible – because that is what we do in church. She no longer is able to find her favorite passages nor can she comprehend the Table of Contents that would help her locate, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Yet she is present, because this is a
The Blessing of Clarity Read More »