“Be still and know that I am God.” Ps. 46 10 I know that one by heart. I don’t have to look it up. But I am seldom still. Inside the house, chores scream at me to be completed. “I am dirty, clean me. I’ve been soaking all night, wash me. I am messy, tidy […]

“Good fences make good neighbours.” said the poet. Maybe his neighbour said it, too. I have no fence on my front yard, and my neighbour and I share the space. I walk across her side to get to the road. She walks across mine to get to the park.  We both make it work, and

Everyone has things they are famous for among their friends. If you need a card at the last minute, go to this friend–she always has the best cards. That co-worker is well-known for driving her kids and everyone else in her family–everywhere. Someone else will go shopping, anytime, anyplace. I am famous for carrying stuff

Georgina has can anxiety disorder. She doesn’t have dementia, but she perseverates (goes over and over the same issue) on many troubles. It doesn’t matter if all was well with this problem yesterday. Today is a new day, and you never know… I have a long history with Georgina. Sometimes, I need to reassure her,

I can’t stand it when people tell me to do or be something, or to not do or be something. Who are they to tell me, and if I am that thing, how am I supposed to stop? The “Don’t worry, be happy,” guy drives me nuts. I am worried and I’m not happy, so

Care partners are often making tough choices. When should I insist on doing all the driving? Can Mom safely live alone? Where can I find respite care for Dad? These are heart-wrenching. An even harder decision can be the day the care partner realizes she can’t do it all. When the demands on her life

If you’re not a care partner, you don’t understand. “Your mother’s in a home, so you’re not really caring for her, are you? All you have to do is visit. The staff at the home do all the caring. That must make life so much easier for you.” Do statements like that make you want

The care partner’s journey has many aspects. Fear, laughter, love, insecurity, exhaustion are just some of the aspects. But there is no denying the stress, and today I am starting a series on dealing with some of the aspects. I don’t have all the answers, but you may find another tool you can use. Just

I haven’t spent a lot of my life in hospitals. I was born there, and sometimes around my third year of life, I had my tonsils out in a hospital. Each of my children arrived in one, and a few years ago, I got rid of a troublesome gall bladder there. Of course, that’s just

The care partner’s life is full of gut-wrenching decisions. When and how do I tell my mother she can no longer drive? How do I broach the subject of getting help for her? The doctor said she isn’t safe living alone–how do we have that conversation? How do I even begin looking for a place