After my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, her world became increasingly smaller. It started with losing her ability to drive. She could no longer go out anywhere unless someone else was able to take her. Since my dad was still working full-time, she would have to wait until he got home from work or had … Continue reading My Mom’s World Got Bigger When She Died
Tag: gratitude
Sometimes You Have To Paint a Different Picture
After my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. All I thought about was what I had lost and what I would never have. All the things my mom and I would no longer be able to do and all the things we would never get the … Continue reading Sometimes You Have To Paint a Different Picture
Finding Gratitude On Your Alzheimer’s Journey
What if you woke up tomorrow morning and decided today would be different? What if you told yourself to focus only on the good things that happen? You will see and acknowledge all of the bad stuff (we all know there’s a lot), but you won’t let it drag you down. Instead, you will keep … Continue reading Finding Gratitude On Your Alzheimer’s Journey
Alzheimer’s Took So Much From Us, But I Am Grateful For What It Gave Us
Before my mom had Alzheimer’s, I never had to help her get dressed. I never had to help her use the bathroom. I never had to cut up her food for her so she could eat it. I never had to hold her hand when walking through a crowded room or down the street. I … Continue reading Alzheimer’s Took So Much From Us, But I Am Grateful For What It Gave Us
This Journey Requires A Delicate Balance of Grief and Gratitude
You are losing your loved one right before your eyes and each day is a constant battle between grieving that loss and trying to cherish the time you have left with your loved one. I get it. I’ve been there. When people ask me how I dealt with the pain of slowly losing my mom, … Continue reading This Journey Requires A Delicate Balance of Grief and Gratitude
It Wasn’t All Bad. We Had Some Good Times, Too.
(The post below was written on July 4, 2020. My mom passed on April 4, 2020.) My mom died three months ago today. I know I say this all the time, but it still doesn’t seem possible. It doesn’t seem real. It feels like it was yesterday, but also like it’s been a million years. … Continue reading It Wasn’t All Bad. We Had Some Good Times, Too.
What My Mom’s Notes Taught Me About Her Love
(The post below was written on June 20, 2020. My mom passed on April 4, 2020.) A while back, I found these notes in the desk at my mom and dad’s house. It looks like my mom wrote them in late 2012, which was just over two years into her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. They are just … Continue reading What My Mom’s Notes Taught Me About Her Love
You’re Going to Miss This One Day
(The post below was written on March 6, 2020. My mom passed on April 4, 2020.) When I pulled up to my mom’s house yesterday, I thought to myself, “This sucks.” I would give anything to walk in there and see her standing in the kitchen. I would give anything to walk in there and … Continue reading You’re Going to Miss This One Day
And Yet, I Am Grateful
I will never know what it’s like to see my mom’s car pull up to my house. I will never know what it’s like to group text with my mom and my sister. My mom will never buy me another Christmas present or birthday card. She will never call me on my birthday to sing … Continue reading And Yet, I Am Grateful
Here’s Why You Should Start a Gratitude Journal
For those who don’t already know, I make a gratitude list after every FaceTime call with my mom and dad. I used to dread FaceTiming with them and I would hang up feeling so depressed. It made me not want to FaceTime with them. I would avoid it at all costs. I knew I had … Continue reading Here’s Why You Should Start a Gratitude Journal
