Reverence for Life

1. 

   "To make a prairie it takes a clover, and one bee  . . . One clover, and a bee.  And revery.  The revery alone will do.  If bees are few." Emily Dickinson
   
   

   One thing we caregivers can focus on is the reverence for life.  The loved one for whom we provide care has been given a terminal diagnosis -- if he or she is diagnosed with dementia; but, really, haven't we all been given a terminal diagnosis?  None of us is going to get out of here alive.  I was struck by this as the medical director at the new facility went over the question with Dwane and me of how much to intervene if a medical emergency occurs.  The person with dementia or other terminal illness just has more parameters on what time they have left in this life.  That was the discussion Dwane and I had as we drove home from Mayo Clinic upon received the diagnosis of Lewy Bodies Dementia.  Since we now knew his time was finite, we chose to travel and enjoy the experiences he wanted to have while he still could.  I took him to Sagamore Hill -- the summer home of Theodore Roosevelt, because that was on his 'bucket list'.  I also took him abroad to meet his new granddaughter and to see his daughter and her family.  The days of traveling are past for him; I am so glad I took him while he could still travel.