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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 have different ways of responding to them. And different things work for different people. I have found that even if something works right now, it may not in 5 minutes. It’s an exhausting rollercoaster for everyone. I am in awe of all caregivers. They maintain commitment and perseverance like no other. I am grateful for the encouragement and prayers that I received and feel very blessed indeed. And I feel I’m able to reciprocate by keeping others in my prayers.

I Found God today grateful for connection and encouragement.

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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 him and she had to call the police. This happened once before and it took us over an hour to calm her down. This time I was immediately by her side, held her hand and told her Dad was in Heaven. At first she wouldn’t take that for an answer. Then her body relaxed and she said she remembered. I sat with her until she said she was ok. She apologized for waking me up and went back to sleep. I myself have had nightmares about my father’s death, but it is worse to see her so upset. I was grateful this episode was quickly resolved. I dozed and prayed. When I got up a couple hours later and went out to the living room, there was a pink glow coming from the windows. The sunrise was beautiful. I felt it was God’s morning reminder that He remains with us no matter the circumstances. I opened the blinds so I could see the colors change as I did my morning stretches. By the time my mom got up for the day, I was energized and grateful and she had no recollection of the previous events.

I Found God today in His morning.

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Supersaturated Cloud

My mom read the reflection in “Jesus Calling” this evening. I thought it was very profound with vivid imagery. This is what it said:

“I am like a supersaturated cloud, showering Peace into the pool of your mind.”

I would like to remember this quote when I feel overly stressed.

I Found God today imagining my mind being showered in peace.

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Sister Relationship

Today is my sister’s birthday. Yesterday my mom picked out a cute card for her. I went out this morning and got her some flowers, sushi lunch, and Bundt cake. It was the best ways I could think of to celebrate her and appreciate her. She moved in a little over a year ago. It was pretty rough for a while, I think more stressful than either of us anticipated. But she has stuck around and we have worked out a pretty good routine. At the same time, I feel we have come to a better understanding of one another. We have had a pretty close relationship since we were kids and shared a bedroom and I’m glad we have been able to maintain that. I am grateful that she is still here and gave the time and energy to get things settled.

I Found God today in my relationship with my sister.

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Early to Bed

I woke up this morning with a bad headache. Could be all that holiday eating finally caught up with me. Could be stress. Could be both. I was grateful that my mom napped twice during the day. I have learned that when I’m tired, I need to lay down when she does. So I did and was happy to get some rest. I ended up not eating much during the day, then feeling good enough to have dinner. I am grateful again to go to bed early.

I Found God today resting and going to bed early.

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Who Strengthens

I visited a friend today who I hadn’t seen in too long. Her husband recently passed away, so we cried together and prayed together. But we also laughed together. I am so grateful for our deep friendship. Before I left, she gave me a mug with the scripture Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” She was so thoughtful. It is funny how this scripture pops up to me often.

I Found God today in a blessed friendship.

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Sweet Surprise

It was colder than cold today. The temperature was below zero, even colder with the wind whipping and the snow. Our friend decided not to come over today, which was a wise choice. We stayed in and layered up. I was surprised when Mom saw someone coming to the door. Sure enough, it was one of the neighbors. She dropped off her infamous Irish Soda Bread. It was a welcomed unexpected treat.

I Found God today in a surprise sweet treat.

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Train Your Mind

I saw a quote from TobyMac today that moved my heart, “Train your mind to hear what God whispers and not what the enemy may be shouting.” I also heard a beautiful reflection the other day saying that my past sins are like grains of sand compared to the mountain that is God. These two thoughts reminded me that God is so much more than I can even imagine and that He wants nothing but good for me. When I ask for forgiveness for my past faults and failures, they are meaningless. I then have the opportunity to move forward. I need to ignore those voices that tell me I’m not worthy or good enough because I make mistakes. I appreciated these positive affirmations.

I Found God today remembering His power and love.

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But the Wind

I wanted to make a trip up to the cabin today to make sure all was well before the winter cold sets in. My grandson volunteered to come with me. He brought his new camera with him and told me all about it. It is quite different from any other camera I have had experience with. The temperature was in the single digits when we left, but as we kept climbing in altitude, we watched it rise. However, the warmer air brought with it extreme wind. It was blowing the snow on the ground across the road and at times it was hard to see where the lanes were. The cabin was in good shape and just needed a couple things changed. That was a blessing. We went into town for lunch and since my grandson recently turned 21, we played a few slot machines in the casino. We took a different route home that offered some very nice views of the mountain ranges. I pulled over every now and again so my grandson could take some pictures. He braved the wind to get the shots he had envisioned. Thankfully, the roads weren’t as bad as I had anticipated. As we drove down the mountain pass, we watched the temperature plummet. But at the same time the wind calmed down. It was an interesting and fun day with my grandson.

I Found God today spending time with my grandson.

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Sprechen Deutsch

We had a woman come clean the house today. She was German and asked my mother if she was German too. My mom said she was and the woman said a couple things to her in German. My mom actually grew up speaking English and German. It took her a little while to process, but my mom understood what she said and tried to answer back. We got out my mom’s genealogy book that she and my sister put together many years ago. We talked about where her parents were from and their journey on the ship to come to America. My mom and the housekeeper shared a common history. I thought it was really thoughtful of the woman to engage my mom in that way.

I Found God today as my mom’s old memories were brought to life.