Struggles
Fortitude
In a meditation that I listened to today, the statement that hit my heart was about prayer. “Do not pray for easy lives – pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks.” This is, after all, what I should be praying for. Not […]
Knew My Struggles
It’s been a rough week. Yesterday I met with a counselor who has been helping me work through my challenges of caregiving and grieving. As I thought about my dad and as I do my best to care for my mom, there are many ways that I wish I could do better – be a […]
Grateful Response
I listened to a meditation today based on Matthew 26:6-10. It was about a woman who anointed Jesus with expensive oil while he was at dinner with several apostles and others. The meditation describes the woman as someone filled with gratitude and love for Jesus. It was suggested that her life was changed by Jesus, […]
Grateful for Encouragement
Several people reached out to me after yesterday’s blog. Most are or were caring for their parent(s). Connecting with others helps to not feel alone, especially when they understand the difficulties. I find it so interesting that people suffering from dementia display such similar struggles, thoughts, and behaviors – regardless of their specific diagnosis. Caregivers […]
God Morning
As my mom’s dementia progresses, I feel like I have to be prepared for anything. Last night was my turn to “sleep” in her room with her. Thankfully, my sister and I trade off every night. Too early this morning, she started yelling for my dad. She sat straight up and said something happened to […]
Begin Again
The other day I heard a reflection about our ability to begin again. Every night we have the opportunity to review our day and hand it all to God in prayer, asking forgiveness for our wrongs. At the wakening of each new day, we are able to start fresh and live the day for what […]
Full Heart
We’ve been lucky to have a caregiver come over twice a week for a couple hours. Now and as time goes on, my mom requires a tremendous amount of attention and energy. I’m often exhausted. But we are committed to keeping her at home. I have tried to get more help in, but unfortunately have […]
Got the Message
On my way to meet a friend tonight, I had just enough time to hear two songs on the radio. Both of them had the same theme of remaining close to Jesus through hard times and God being present in those moments. Then an email I read tonight included this scripture: Isaiah 41:10 ~ Fear not, for […]
Watching Out
I went to the extremely busy grocery store today and was determined to keep a good attitude. While there were a lot of people there, most seemed to be pleasant and patient. On the way out, I noticed that directly in front of me was a woman I knew who husband is currently dying of […]
House Cleaner
During the last few months, it has been impossible to keep up with the house work. And it had become another item on my long, overwhelming to do list. I knew that several people in our complex had housekeepers, so I started asking around. I connected with a woman who cleans for many of the […]
Still Finding God 