Random Thoughts on Color, Race, and Prejudice
This will probably get me in trouble…
When your Caregiving Season Ends
When she could no longer walk that far, my husband, Mike, and I fixed dinner at our house and carried it to hers so we could eat together. A year ago, after her stroke, Mike and I moved in with my mom to give more hands-on care. We took turns watching her, taking her to…
Do you need a Power of Attorney for an Aging Loved One? YES!
Consider this scenario: Your father is a Type 1 diabetic. His insulin pump stops working and he hasn’t received insulin for over 24 hours. He falls into a coma. Do you have the authority to call his health care plan and get an appointment and advice from a nurse? Do you have the right to…
Signs of change in the Caregiving Season
Autumn colors, leaves falling, daylight savings – these are signs the season has changed from the lazy days of summer. There are signs of changes in the caregiving season as well. • Your aging parent is becoming more forgetful • Your loved one is showing more fear of going out or falling down • He…
Why should dying scare a professing Christian?
In my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:12 “I’m afraid to die.” I’ve heard this comment from more than one older person. And all are professing Christians. What is going on? Christians have an abiding belief…
A Mother’s Day Tribute: My Mother’s Hands
My mother gave me her ring. She can’t wear it anymore. Her once slender fingers have become swollen with arthritis. Four perfectly matched diamonds are mounted in a row on a gold band. I always thought it was her wedding ring because she’s worn it for as long as I can remember. She recently told…
The Shadow
Mim has been a member of the same church for over forty years. She’s served on the Women’s Ministry Council, sung in the choir, worked in the nursery, and is a prayer warrior. She’s adored by everyone who knows her. Now in her late eighties, Mim had a stroke. Her daughter flew up from Southern…
A New Season of Caregiving – Part 3
The move in with my mom is a work in process. A very slow process. I’m finding out how easy it is to gather stuff. For instance, I have enough rags to fill a garbage bin. Do they reproduce while in the dark linen closet? I’ve compartmentalized the emotional part of the move. It’s there,…
A New Season of Caregiving – Part 2
First world problem – I have too much stuff. Too many shoes, way too many clothes, and things in my linen closet I haven’t touched in years. What to do? Purge. Repeat. Purge again. Mike and I are going from a three-bedroom, 2 ½ bath home to one very small bedroom in my mother’s townhome….
The Sandwich Generation – Challenges of Caregiving
I have experienced the sandwich generation – facing challenges I could have never imagined. This is an update to the original article published in 2016. I was my dad’s favorite. I don’t think my brothers will argue with me. He was hard on them, easy on me. That’s my girl is a phrase I heard…