Dear Friends, At least three-quarters of this country can relate to the title of this essay, “The Weight of Winter.” It has been brutal: heavy, aggravating, dangerous and unpredictable. It has trampled us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Even in Alabama where the Sunny South is our nickname, the month of February has been a […]
Let’s define the small stuff. It’s not the flippant, unnecessary trivia of life. It’s the multitude of actions and effort driven by thoughtfulness, caring and sharing.Too often life zooms past us so quickly that we miss the small stuff, or we are so preoccupied that we don’t notice the small stuff. And the small stuff […]
Dear Friends, A book on caregiving about which I was so excited has been juxtaposed against the plight of being a restrained, dependent caregivEE! How’s that for irony! Here’s what I’m learning about my life as I remain immobile for the next 6 weeks in a steel rod brace and a broken knee cap. Can […]
Dear Readers, Many of you know my dear friends, Chris and Amy Cameron. They lived in Huntsville for many years but now reside in Scottsboro, AL. Amy has Multiple Sclerosis and Chris is her willing caregiver. In this touching blog post, he shares his story, guaranteed to make your holiday warmer and your heart […]
Dear friends who are parents, If you stop to think for a moment, I’m sure you would agree that the all-too-frequent unclaimed layer of caregiving is being a parent. This role lasts a lifetime, is intense, expensive, passionate and all heart. It’s also confusing, ambivalent, exhausting, infuriatiang, heart-breaking and one unending surprise after another. Are […]
Dear Friends, Imagine a life-long caregiving situation with a child who has CP. Imagine first of all hearing the news at birth, managing all through the elementary and teen years to find schooling, then figuring out how to get this child through college, then how to find accommodating employment and finally independent housing. Imagine being […]
It has been my unexpected pleasure for the past ten years to date a Parisian, a wonderful man named Bernie, or “Bernard” in French. He is seven years my senior and will be turning 75 years old in just a few weeks. He’s really more American than anything, but his native land and language (as […]
Whether you are retired, still working, raising a family, or eagerly on your way to doing something else with your life, caregiving will eventually come to sit at your front door step. Whether you are rich, poor, healthy, struggling or just ordinary – caregiving will find you. Whether you are a doctor, a museum CEO, […]
As you may see from my web site, I have written a book of meditations for caregivers. Having been one for almost a year with my dear mother, I remember with eerie starkness, how alone I felt. I gave and gave and gave and had nothing coming in to refuel my soul. That’s why I […]