Reflections of a Daughter of the Silent Generation and Mother of Generation Y
When I reminded her that her license had expired and reassured her that I’d be happy to drive her anywhere she wanted to go, Mom nodded and smiled. What a relief that the driving question was behind us.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
How could we be so blessed a third time around? He’s so many things…among them a constant reminder that this is not a limited supply of love and beauty we are dealing with, it’s an endless one.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
According to the sign out front of a local church, “THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING. BE SURE TO MAKE TIME FOR GOD.” My middle square – “Spirituality and Faith” was a great place to start!
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Of the many difficult decisions we’d made in caring for Mom, one of the most challenging was moving her away from her home in Maine. The time had come to move her back. Fingers crossed her health would remain stable until we got her there.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Starting to feel breathless with all the What Ifs, I remembered this AA slogan. The nurse drew blood and collected urine in record time and, free to go, I asked Mom what she wanted for lunch. “Something meaty,” she replied: First Things First!
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Mom had referred to me as her sister and her friend. Then, as Tramadol messed with her mind, she asked me if I’d be her secretary and later, my personal favorite, her “Lady Girl.” I was just glad she still knew I was on her side.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Sunday morning, two days after we stopped the Tramadol, as she tried to make sense of the prior couple of days, Mom asked, “Who’s going to keep me from going crazy?” I was glad I could answer, “I will do my best, Mom, and Doug will help too.”
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Speak quietly with confidence, no need to yell.
Speak quietly with confidence, ‘til then listen well.
Don’t speak out of turn, when it’s not mine to learn.
Let them hold their own, now that they’re grown.
Forgive myself, I meant no harm.
Living learning, here on the farm.
(February 13, 2015)
—from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
AA’s Step Nine: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” It felt good to take responsibility for that which weighed me down, setting it right the best I could and starting fresh, like five-year-old Siena sledding down a snowy hill shouting “Let Me Be Free!” (Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions)
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
