May 13, 2011

Kindness

"Constant kindness can accomplish much.  As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate." Albert Schweitzer.

All of us probably know someone who is kind sometimes, but that kindness is not predictable.  From a psychological perspective, those people are ones who have not integrated their shadow side; and, try though they might, are unable to be consistently kind.  While we are all human and any one of us can become impatient and over react, I find in being a dementia caregiver that it is critical that to be consistently kind.  Things go relatively smoothly in our daily routine, unless I am feeling anxious and overwhelmed.  Then, when I need most for him to be cooperative, my being rushed is picked up and reacted to by him.  So, back to constant and consistent kindness.  That seems to be key.

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