Patience

"I have just three things to teach:  simplicity, patience, compassion.  These are your greatest treasures." Lao-Tzu

Patience is something I do not seem to have been inherently blessed with.  I am efficient and quick, and it is actually painful for me to slow down; but slow down I do to accommodate someone with dementia.  It facilitates harmony if we, as caregivers, slow down our talking, our walking/moving, our time schedules.  We will just frustrate ourselves otherwise.  When I am with the care receiver, I suspend any schedules, except to get him to medical appointments on time.  I talk in simpler ways, so we can enjoy each other.   I incorporate compassion in order to see things from his perspective.  Simplicity, patience and compassion are important in life --- and crucial in caregiving.