Struggles
Hope and Inspiration
Today I was thinking about a friend who I haven’t talked to in quite a while. As I was planning on touching base with her, I heard from her first. Her initial question was, “How can I pray for you this Lent?” I was so moved that she thought of me in this way and […]
Calm Dynamic
Last week our regular caregiver was out, so we had new and different people. One of the girls was great with my mom; patient, low key, and knowledgeable. Mom was very comfortable with her. So I was pretty happy when I was able to hire her to come in a couple afternoons every week. It […]
Back to God
The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes always gives me pause to reflect and I welcome the opportunity. This morning I found the Lourdes Live station on YouTube and was immediately brought back there in my memory. As a child it was an overwhelming experience that I couldn’t have been prepared for and one that […]
Relax the Back
Recently, my mom has been requiring more hands on assistance to get from one place to another. As I find myself more tired I haven’t been making the time to do the exercising that I should be doing. All of that has taken a toll on my back. I have been trying to take care […]
Friends From Afar
Tonight was my prayer group meeting. We all saw each other yesterday at the funeral, but kept our regular meeting anyways. One of the ladies had moved to another state and had been joining our sessions via Zoom. It was good to see her in person again. Another woman came to the group for some […]
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 […]
Still Finding God 