Have you ever wondered if it’s okay to hire professionals to help you care for an aging parent? Being Chinese, my parents taught me the cultural value of caring for elders. My grandparents were treated as part of our immediate family unit and I had the opportunity to live with them for over twenty years.…
I am beginning to think there’s an evil group of monsters who design packaging so difficult to open that one needs a knife, hammer, and bolt cutters to get to the contents. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to open a bottle of salad dressing, a label-maker, and a package of salad mix.…
Let’s move to Oregon!
As I age, the number of candles on the cake become less important. The big milestones have passed. The first one is age ten – double digits. Then thirteen – the beginning of the teen years. Eighteen – adulthood. Twenty-one means I could vote and drink. Thirty indicates I’m no longer a kid. Forty, fifty,…
With the change of seasons, my website will be evolving and making some minor changes. Going forward, I will write on a number of subjects, including aging with grace, how others handle the end of their caregiving seasons, and even some book reviews. I welcome suggestions and guest blog posts. In the weeks ahead, Jane’s…
“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turned out.” — Jack Buck
“What would you think about moving in with Mom?” my husband asked one recent evening. Before the last syllable died in the ensuing silence, I was already shaking my head from side to side. “No. Nope. No way.” There would be bloodshed. Not mine. A few weeks later, he brought it up again. My 93-year-old…
Webster’s Dictionary defines a caregiver as “A person who cares for someone who is sick or disabled.” A caretaker, by contrast, is “A person who is in charge of the maintenance of a building, estate, etc.” But Webster’s goes on to say, “A person who takes care of another.” When I think of the word…
The Fear Behind the Fear My friend Greg’s mom, Alene, and I discussed dying. It’s something she thinks about, now that she’s in her eighth decade. “I’m not so much afraid about eternity. I guess I’m scared about the actual event of dying. Will it hurt? Will I struggle to breathe or have pain?” She…
I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Freda Crews of Time For Hope. Her television program inspires and informs Christians who struggle with physical, emotional, and spiritual issues. Dr. Freda V. Crews, D. Min., Ph.D., is the Director of Time for Hope Ministries and the host of Time for Hope, the internationally syndicated television…