Discouragement

"Every time you actualize more of your potential by becoming more yourself, your joy increases, regardless of what's going on in your external circumstances," Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith

Discouragement is probably a natural consequence of living with dementia, at least it is for me. A rough weekend. Seems we are in another cognitive decline, or at least it was a less-lucid time over the weekend. The extreme frustration of trying to communicate is what is hardest for me; that and the pervasiveness of the situation/symptoms. Something that perhaps is helpful is for me to notice is that when he goes through a period of lessened lucidity, it is an adjustment again for me.

So, if what Dr. Beckwith says above is true, none of this matters. All that matters is that I continue to develop my own potential. And, living with dementia serves as a firing kiln for that, if we choose to experience it so.