"You don't have to see the whole staircase at once, just the first step"
When you learn to live in the moment and embrace it with good humour, a calm attitude and enjoy the simplicity of it all, life begins to become a bit easier.
It is only the middle of February and the notices for up-coming events are already filling up my email in-box. Being the proactive personalty that I am, I was almost making myself sick from anxiety of knowing just how out of shape I am and how will I ever get ready.
Reality check!
- this year will be different from any previous year, I have major real life commitments and don't know what my time frame will be to deal with them.
- I don't HAVE to participate in every event that crosses my path. I can pick and choose and just do my best with the time frame I do have for getting back into some semblance of fitness.
- enjoy, embrace, participate, but most of all appreciate the fact I can do what I can do. (many women my age just don't bother, however, the many, many female friends I do have are involved with embracing life in a positive healthy fashion).
- take the time to remember your friends who are ailing as the person(s) they were, not what they have become. This is especially true with my Dad, I am learning with the help of the Alzheimer Society and Veteran Affairs Canada to remember that he has had a great life, he served his country as a decorated tank commander in World War II, he served his city as decorated civil servant (aka Staff Sargent of Detectives), he had many hobbies, wonderful friends who still remain in touch with him even though he is now many kilometres away, he was well respected within that far away community and now I get to enjoy every single moment I have to share with him as his memory declines.
Sometimes you need to be a super star fitness freak, run a marathon, endure a Half Ironman, but sometimes you need to just sit, laugh, listen intently and learn how to have patience, compassion and most of all love for those who are making their way to ending their journey.
Life's fun if you don't weaken,
Lily
8 comments:
Hopefully we learn something new every day! Hang in there my friend...........
beautiful. The circle of life is inevitable. Pride over sorrow. Life's fun if you don't weaken!
Where would we be without our families eh? You must be so proud of your father and what he accomplished!
So well said! It sounds like you are learning a lot through these experiences... you can inspire many with your wonderful attitude and joie de vivre! This year may look quite different, but that doesn't mean it won't be great.
Having gone through my own father's Alzheimer trip I can tell you that it actually gets easier as you go along. When it first became apparent Dad was horribly distressed and disturbed by the loss of the memories and that affected all of us, but as he faded it stopped bothering him. Then we could enjoy the times he had decent function and not worry about the rest since it wasn't bothering him anymore. At the end he really couldn't remember much of anything but that didn't change our remembrances of him and it still doesn't as we get together now.
Thanks for sharing Dave, I'm so glad you did. As this has been an emotional roller coaster since last June when Dad almost died due to his inability to administer his own meds. Subsequently he is now closer to me and things are now settling into a pattern for the both of us.
I'm not certain what the future will bring other than the inevitable. *sigh*
Enjoy the time with your father as much as you can. He is lucky to have you.
yep. day at a time. Enjoy what you can. don't stress about what you can't.
hugs
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