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The (Impatient) Waiting Game
We are selling my mother in law’s house and we did not come upon the decision lightly. When we moved here, we came with two dogs ( a rottweiler and a German Shepherd), seven “stray” cats and a parrot. We couldn’t bring the cats to my mother in law’s house because they have HOA rules… Read more
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Two Things Can Be True
I thought moving home to help care for someone I loved would be hard. I had no idea how hard—or how much it would change all of us. Seven months into caregiving, I’m learning that doing what’s best for someone else doesn’t mean losing yourself in the process. Read more
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I Lost It Yesterday Over a Trash Can
Yesterday, I finally hit the emotional wall I’ve apparently been sprinting toward for months. What started with dogs getting into the trash turned into rage, ugly crying in the car, wandering town looking for somewhere to escape, and the realization that caregiving stress and emotional exhaustion don’t always show up as sadness. Sometimes they show… Read more
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Spilling the Caregiver Tea Room
Nobody prepares you for the emotional whiplash of caregiving — the repeated stories, imagined arguments, silent resentment, constant vigilance, and the strange grief of watching someone slowly become someone else. This is what life has looked like lately as we navigate the possibility of dementia under one roof. Read more
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One Long Line at at Time
I mowed the grass yesterday. One long line at a time. No circles. No squares. Just lines. A thing I can control in my life. Or at least that’s how it feels these days. Read more
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This is My Life Now
I took a trip to Ohio last week to help my daughter with some house chores. Well, Will really was the one helping. He was on a ladder doing some exterior painting. I was actually super tired and pretty useless. Getting away from our “new life” helping take care of Will’s mom and her house… Read more
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