Top 4

I've been waiting for a day such as this to sit down and write to all of you! Travis is flying his mother and Adela back to Minnesota and it's very quiet here today at the airport. Maybe I'll get this written without too many interruptions!

For the past month, my dear mother-in-law has been staying with us--as you know. There have been days when I felt stretched past my endurance, but other days have been wonderful!! I don't know what I would have done without our dear friend, Adela, being here! She carried the bulk of care during the days when I had to come to the airport and what a blessing she was! It really is important for more than one person to be caring for an elderly parent. Kind of like raising kids...you need a mom and a dad, as well as extended family and friends for support! My heart really goes out to single parents!

So, what have I learned from this experience of caring for a person of advanced age?
1. It's important to get some exercise! Adela would walk on the trail near our house as often as possible. I prefer a "Leslie Sansone" DVD for a walking workout! But, either way...exercise is a complete stress reliever!
2. A sense of humor is an absolute MUST! I don't think that I've laughed and giggled so much in ages! And getting up in the middle of the night--several times? Yep, a sense of humor!
3. A strong sense of urgency! Things need to be done NOW! Not just physical things...like walking someone into the bathroom--but addressing issues! Sometimes, hurtful things are said on both sides and it's important to take care of those things! More often than not, things from the past are rehearsed over and over again. When that happens, I've learned to stop the conversation and verbally explore the reasons behind it. Amazing results!
4. A constant connection to God! He is the source of love and understanding! He has turned irritating circumstances around time and again--filling me with peace and mercy!

I'm sure there's a great many other things that I could think of, but those are the top 4! By the way, getting old is not all it's cracked up to be! But, in God's wisdom, He allows all of us to grow through difficult circumstances!

I went home for lunch and walked into an empty house! Was it quiet? Yes, but pretty doggone lonely. No little old lady sitting in her chair to greet me and say, "Good morning!", when it was clearly the middle of the day! Sigh...