Being happy

"Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy."--Jennie Jerome Churchill



Probably none of us would have chosen to live with and provide care for someone with dementia, nor to have a loved one with this terminal illness. I watched a recent video of Meryl Comer, advocate for dementia for the Geoffry Beene Foundation, who said that watching the stripping away of the reality of the person with dementia changes the caregiver forever. I agree. I think really anything we go through in life changes us, for the better or the worse. It seems to me we either get bitter or better as humans when we interact with the events of life. Granted, providing care for someone with dementia is one of the larger, more challenging events of life; but I don't think the size matters as much as our reaction to the event: we still make the choice to be bitter or better as a result of this life experience. Today, in what way do you want to be affected by the experience of providing care for someone with dementia. Bitter or better? I know which one I choose, on behalf of us both.