verb
- to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard
- to be concerned or have a special preference
- to make provision or look out
- to have an inclination, liking, fondness, or affection
This is almost a quote, but I have made this about Parkinson's and not dementia, though often PD included dementia. I have made it about our journey, not someone else's. It comes from the book 'Ministry with the Forgotten' by Kenneth Carder.
Parkinson's is our journey now, not sought after, but dropped in our life path. Each day is a choice in how to handle the inconsistencies, how to handle each small good-bye, how to handle fear, disappointment and challenge. With the seemingly endless phases of this snowflake disease, our path is individualized for us, a complex train of options. All we can do is communicate, all the while accepting the reality of loss and adjusting to the new environment. The hard part is that this doesn't happen just once, but in an ongoing cyclone of change.
But doesn't that photo just make you go 'awwwwwww'? Doesn't it make you happy that the dog has a companion who cares? I try to be that cat. I have my successes and my failures, but compassion for Russ' plight never leaves my heart. There is no way around it, one must simply go through it! The whole need for a caregiver just creeps up on you. It can be a bit insulting, infiltrating life without you even knowing it. Suddenly you realize you are doing more and more and at some point you realize you have made the commitment to be two people.
Life as you know it stops and you realize your heart is two, your new normal has begun. Being honest and recognizing the necessity, change makes a huge difference in the daily choices you make. I try not to feel guilty when I fail, but I think that is sort of inevitable. The enormity of caring for two people, is just that, the living scale of extremes.