Preparation is the Key

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening the ax."
 Abraham Lincoln

Preparation to avoid problems.  It is the basis of behavior management -- whether our own behavior or that of others.  If I want things to go smoothly, I prepare.  I am giving a talk at a church this Sunday.  To make sure that goes well, I have collaborated with the person who does the bulletin, with the musicians who are playing so that my message and their music interweave and support each other, I am giving thought and structure to what I will present -- the title is "Love is Everywhere", and, lastly, I will make sure I am centered and serene.  What does this have to do with caregiving?  Everything.  The more I prepare ahead of time, the better things go.  Today is my loved one's birthday.  I have ordered the cake, bought the plates/forks/napkins, have his gift, will pick up my daughter and granddaughter and we will go celebrate with him.  Tomorrow he has oral surgery which cannot be avoided.  I have arranged transportation, communicated multiple times with the care facility, and will arrive at the surgery center early to meet him.  Preparation is the key to serenity.