Optimism

"You immediately have optimism when your life is touched by God." interview with Niall Ferguson

Would you rather be with someone who sees the best in things, is buoyant, and cheery?  Or, do you like to be with people who complain, look for the worst to happen, and are downcast?  It is hard for me to be around people who remind me of Eeyore, the donkey in the wonderful tales of Winnie-the-Pooh.  One reason I like the works of both A. A. Milne and Charles M. Schulz is that they depict in their characters the many faces we see commonly in life:  the bossy girl, the boy with self doubts, the exuberant tigger, the wise philosopher, the bear who cannot control his appetites, the girl who does not do what she says she will do, the donkey who only sees the worst of possibilities.  A lot of wisdom in the unfolding of these characters.  We can see both ourselves and others in our best and not-so-best times.  I try to remember -has the care receiver always been a pessimist or has it come with the disease.  I am not so sure that the disease causes attributes, but it certainly accentuates them.  A wise friend of mine who worked in geriatrics once told me "People don't change when they get older; they just get more of what they always were."  It seems the same is true during the process and progress of the disease of Lewy Bodies Dementia.