You are more than your dementia diagnosis.  Every week I look forward to seeing you.  Every week I look around your room, and I look for things that might make you get tangled and trip, or fall, or get injured.  I make sure your bed is down low, your fall mat is right next to the bed, and your mattress is on the bed in such a way that if you do happen to fall, your head won't hit the metal frame on the way down.  Your bed alarm is on.  Your door is open.  Your favorite television program is on, or the familiar Greek music is playing.  Everything you need, including your Kleenex box and trash can are nearby and within reach.  Your lunch is cut up in small bites and there is a towel on your lap.  Your adorable great grandson's picture with his bright red hair is turned just the right way on ... View Post

Dear new owner of my longest home ever, For the past couple of weeks, I've gone room by room, closet by closet, boxing up both the belongings I lay eyes on daily, and those with memories attached that I'd forgotten about, or hadn't seen in more than a decade.  One can't help but reminisce while packing up a home where 22 years of memories have been made.  I do hope you love this home as much as I still do.  And I hope you make memories in it that keep you smiling for a lifetime, like mine certainly will. I was newly divorced, and unsure how I'd survive as a single mom.  I worked, and worked, and worked doing medical transcription from our little mobile home, waitressing midnights every Sunday, and saved, and saved, and saved until I finally had enough money to put down on this home.  ... View Post

I spent my summer writing a memoir of my COVID nursing in the Medical ICU.  I love the cover of my book, and I love the title.  You should read it. Surrounded by COVID, Sustained by Grace! And I was!  I was surrounded by COVID in the ICU!  And I continue to be, but now in a variety of different environments.  I also continue to be sustained by grace. I've pondered and pondered COVID, because up until getting pretty busy with my new job as a hospice RN, I've had time! And now, well - now I'm doing an Advent devotional study with three girlfriends, and we talk often about the anticipation of Christmas, the anticipation of celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Best gift ever. And all of this pondering has caused me to ponder even more! Jesus came to earth and chose to be ... View Post