Posted in Alzheimer's, Daddy, affection, aging, authors, book reviews, books, bookstores, boomer women, breaking point, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, dads, dark humor, death, dementia, depression, doctors, dying, elder care, eldercare, elderly, emotional, end of life, faith, family, family caregiving, gainesville, geriatrics, guilt, healthcare, home passing, hospice, humor, inspirational, law of attraction, memoir, mothering, mothers, neurological disorders, neurology, pallative care, parents, parkinson's, prayer, publishing, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, sibling rivalry, spiritual, spiritual teachers, will to live, women's health, tagged siblings, relatives, feeling threatened, long distance relationships, neurologists on June 26, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I spoke at Haven Hospice in Gainesville, Florida yesterday–and the speaker before me was Dr. Slayton who is also a caregiver to his 87 year old father. He spoke of the “Out of Town Hero Syndrome.”
Everyone knew what that was–it’s when out of town relatives swoop in town and begin to tell YOU how to care [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, affection, aging, authors, books, boomer women, cancer, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, church, daughters, death, dementia, depression, elder care, eldercare, elderly, emotional, end of life, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, grieving, guilt, healthcare, heart disease, home passing, hospice, humor, inspirational, kunati, law of attraction, memoir, mothering, mothers, pallative care, parenting, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, spiritual, spiritual teachers, trauma, wisdom, women's health, tagged athletes, celebrations, grief cycles, life, muscle memory, weddings on June 23, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Anniversaries that mark the day our loved one’s passed away can be tough days.
You think about it weeks leading up to it–dread the day.
Your body seems to remember even before your mind.
Athletes call this muscle memory–
“Muscle memory can best be described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar over time. For [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, Daddy, Father's Day, abc.com, affection, authors, books, boomer women, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiving, daughters, elder care, faith, family, family caregiving, tagged fathers, great fathers in history, history channel, quotes, roman emporers on June 14, 2008 | 4 Comments »
It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.” — Anne Sexton
This weekend, my family will gather. we’re cooking steaks, corn on the cob, Parmesan grilled squash and zucchini, Greek salad–and we’re making a giant banana split in a new, cling wrap lined gutter–with every topping imaginable. We’re celebrating Father’s [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, Daddy, Father's Day, affection, aging, authors, books, boomer women, boomers, breaking point, cancer, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, dads, daughters, death, dementia, dying, elder care, eldercare, elderly, emotional, faith, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, grieving, guilt, healthcare, heart disease, home passing, hospice, inspirational, law of attraction, marriage, memoir, mothering, parenting, parkinson's, passions, prayer, psychologists, relationships, sandwich generation, spiritual, spiritual teachers, therapists, wisdom, women, tagged alcoholism, anger issues, coincodence, distant dads, family psychology, father issues, father relationships, healing, neglect on June 13, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Do you wonder sometimes why your life has turned out like it has?
Why does one parent need you right now?
Why you’re caregiving dad–not mom–or vice versa?
The obvious reason is dad or mom is still here and needs care.
That’s the obvious reason, but not the only one.
It’s no coincidence.
It has a lot to do with what [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Borders Bookstores, Daddy, Father's Day, affection, aging, authors, book reviews, books, bookstores, boomer women, boomers, caregiver, caregiving, children, dads, daughters, death, dying, eldercare, end of life, faith, family, family caregiving, heart disease, humor, inspirational, memoir, mothers, parents, prayer, preaching, relationships, wisdom, women's health, writing, tagged addiction, healing, Father's Day, adoption, dads, good dads, abuse, healing from abuse, neglect, church, songs, bedtime songs, heart disease, men, schizophrenia, birth mother, birth father, adoptive parents, preacher's kids on June 10, 2008 | 3 Comments »
My Daddy died at the average age men die in the US (78 years old), from the most common disease men die from–heart disease. Yet, Daddy was anything but typical. He was a big teddy bear of a guy who made my world right again.
I was adopted at the age of four. My early years [...]
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Posted in affection, aging, amazon, atlanta georgia, authors, book reviews, books, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiving, community care, daughters, dementia, dying, elder care, elderly, emotional, faith, family, family caregiving, grieving, healthcare, inspirational, memoir, parents, sandwich generation, spiritual, wisdom, women, tagged adoption, Atlanta, birth parents, Daytona Beach, Father's Day, Greyhound bus on June 2, 2008 | No Comments »
Children (of all ages, including grown) need a daddy.
I know I did. I needed his protection, wisdom, and manly sweetness so different from anyone else’s.
Many people who grow up with dad in the house take him for granted. Only later, or perhaps after a heart attack or stroke do we realize what a gift our [...]
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Posted in ALS, Alzheimer's, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, USA Today, abc.com, adult day cares, affection, aging, amazon, authors, book club, book reviews, books, boomer women, boomers, boston, brain, breaking point, cancer, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, community care, death, dementia, depression, doctors, dying, elder care, elder rage, eldercare, elderly, emotional, end of life, faith, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, golden years, grieving, healthcare, home passing, hospice, hospital, inspirational, intimacy, joy and purpose, kunati, memoir, mothering, mothers, neurological disorders, neurology, pallative care, parkinson's, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, spiritual, transformation, trauma, will to live, women's health, writing, tagged boston legal, james spader, william shatner, Michael J. Fox, team fox, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, USA Today, Ted Kennedy, malignant brain tumor, sailing, maya angelou, power of prayer on May 22, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Last night, the television show Boston Legal had one profound moment relating to Alzheimer’s.
The premise is that one of their leading characters, Denny Crane (played by William Shatner) has early Alzheimer’s. He’s a brilliant attorney who has never lost a case–and he’s part owner in firm. The other law partners are hesitant for Denny [...]
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Posted in ALS, Alzheimer's, Borders Bookstores, affection, aging, amazon, book club, book reviews, boomer women, breaking point, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, community care, daughters, death, dementia, elder care, eldercare, elderly, emotional, end of life, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, grieving, health, healthcare, hospice, humor, inspirational, law of attraction, marriage, memoir, mothering, neurological disorders, neurology, parents, parkinson's, psychologists, publishers, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, seniors, speaking, spiritual, support groups, television, walking, will to live, women, women's health, tagged Alzheimer's Association, fundraisers, karate, Michael J. Fox, mountain climbing on May 16, 2008 | 6 Comments »
You can’t watch someone you love struggle with a disease and not be affected.
But what can you do?
As a caregiver, family member or friend, you can’t make it go away.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are two debilitating diseases that are slow and grueling and take a toll on people’s spirits, and affects everyone around them. For some, they [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, adult day cares, affection, aging, amazon, book club, book reviews, books, boomer, boomer women, breaking point, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, church, community care, daughters, dementia, depression, doctors, elder care, eldercare, emotional, end of life, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, grieving, guilt, healthcare, home passing, hospice, hospital, humor, inspirational, intimacy, joy and purpose, law of attraction, marketing, marriage, memoir, menopause, mid-life crisis, mother-in-laws, mothering, mothers, nerves, neurological disorders, neurology, pallative care, parents, passion, perfectionist, prayer, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, seniors, sex, spiritual, spiritual teachers, walking, will to live, wisdom, women, women's health, writing on May 15, 2008 | 1 Comment »
There’s a new kind of caregiver out there.
She (or he) is a savvy caregiver, isn’t a martyr, and doesn’t look defeated (all the time).
She (I use the feminine pronoun to apply to everyone) has her act together (in some respects) and isn’t going to let her life and her plans be completely derailed–and yet she loves [...]
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Posted in Alzheimer's, affection, amazon, books, boomer women, care partner, care receiver, caregiver, caregiver stress, caregiving, dark humor, daughters, death, dementia, dying, elder care, eldercare, emotional, end of life, family, family caregiving, geriatrics, grieving, guilt, health, healthcare, home passing, hospice, humor, inspirational, kunati, marriage, memoir, mother-in-laws, mothering, neurological disorders, neurology, relationships, sandwich generation, senior care, spiritual, wisdom, women, writing, tagged acceptance, boomer, forgiveness, Grief, inspirational essays, memoirs, memorials, mother's day, mourning, remembrance, stories, woman on May 12, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Dear Mother,
This is my fifth Mother’s Day without you.
I should clarify: without you physically here.
You are indeed, here.
I talk to you and listen to you more than ever. Never thought I’d say that.
Your stories, wisdom, advice, and crazy sayings all come out of my mouth.
Your stories, wisdom, advice, and all crazy sayings come out of [...]
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