I was talking with my daughter and remembering how I handled a trip with E a while ago. It involved a hotel stay…. We had arrived in our hotel after a long day of packing up her room for the move to her new home and then driving 6 hours. Check in had taken a…
“Be present.” “Be in the moment.” We’ve heard these phrases. As in “learn to be present with those around you instead of on your device” and “be in the moment without regrets of yesterday or fear of tomorrow.” Dealing with a person who has dementia has made this so clear to me! Be present! Enjoy…
I had a wonderful day with E! After fighting for a year to get family to let her live near me, she moved here in July. The transfer was hard at first. New apartment, new town, new staff, new friends, new routine. Then she broke her arm. The move is what she wanted, but it…
friendship / Gratitude / Grief / Life
Our seventh Thanksgiving without Andrew. I miss him. I still have days when the grief takes my breath away. But those days are rare and far between. The missing is more of a dull ache than searing pain. His name is mentioned. His siblings remember. His friends remember. We remember. But even if no one…
The past eighteen months have been hard for me. Hard physically. Hard mentally. Hard emotionally. Hard on my marriage. Yet never once did my husband give up on me. He’s always there. Always. During good times and hard times. He doesn’t have to be there; he chooses to be there. Because he chooses to love…
My thoughts this morning. I just spent three days surrounded by 400 women who all profess Christ. Not once did I hear anyone say anything ugly about liberals, gays, or nonChristians. Not once. And I spent a bunch of time listening to conversations around me. As I scroll through my news feed for the first…
Dear church members who visit those living in nursing homes and assisted livings, First, thank you. Thank you for caring enough to visit. Thank you for taking time to minister to residents. Your heart seems to be in the right place. Second, I appreciate your generosity in giving Bibles. It’s very kind. However, may I…
A sweet friend calls every August 13 and asks, “Any fun Andrew stories you want to share.” We talk about him, our husbands , grandkids, and adult offspring. It’s a wonderful chat. Yes, I miss him. Yes, I still have days when it hurts to not be able to pick up the phone and call…
Vegetarian does not just mean “take away the meat.” It seems the cook at the Assisted Living did not understand this…or didn’t care. A sweet woman named Bobbie lives at the same Assisted Living my mom lives. They are great friends. They work puzzles and attend church together. They eat together. They can be seen…
A man named John lives at the Assisted Living where my mom lives. He has dementia. I’d been told he is moving soon to a smaller group home. The AL says John has started to “wander” a bit, and they were saying he has to go to memory care. I’m not sure that what he’s doing is wandering, neither is his family.
Yesterday John was on the sidewalk again. Here is how I helped to gently coax him back inside.
Second book I started this week. This one is written by my friend Terry Squires. Ninety short devotionals, written in first person. They will cause you to pause and consider the God we serve. If you are looking for a new book to read through the summer, this is it. You will be encouraged. I…
I joined a new Launch Team. I am working through an eight week study of Luke written by Erica Wiggenhorn. I’ll be posting about the study in the next few weeks. You can preorder the book at your local bookstore. Just ask them for Unexplainable Jesus. It’s due out later this month.
We are studying Romans chapters 6-8. This is a coed group of adults. All over age 45. You might not know that by last night’s discussion. Normally we have great discussions. Everyone does their homework and we all participate in discussion. Ron Duncan is a great leader: he asks open-ended questions, uses the leaders guide,…
Dementia With Grace, by Vicky Noland Fitch This short (I read it in a day) and helpful book is a must read for caregivers of dementia patients. Whether you are a professional or family caregiver you will find tips on dealing with aspects of the disease and how to make life better for yourself and…
Mid-October 1987 Ron told me I was pregnant. I was sure he was wrong. So sure that I refused to take time to go get tested. (No, I hadn’t learned true submission yet. Plus I had accounting tests to study for. And I was late for work.) Ron was so sure I was pregnant that…
