Her mom's dementia is getting worse, and she
Doesn't know how to respond.
How could I prepare her for what's ahead?
I told her that her mother will lose her
Abilities bit by bit.
In fact, I charted Jack's progress by
What he lost.
"You will need to support your dad," I shared.
"Eventually she won't be able to be left alone."
I told her that I didn't try to correct Jack.
When he thought his camera was broken, I
Took him to the shop so the expert could
Explain that it was fine.
I pushed him around Home Deport searching
For an item that I knew didn't exist.
When he spoke to an imaginary person, I
Welcomed the phantom too.
I tried to be calm and patient with him.
Sometimes I failed.
I prayed, "Have mercy on my honey today, Lord.
Have mercy on me."
I told my hurting friend that we never stop
Loving our confused dear ones.
If it's possible, we love them more deeply because
They are so helpless.
We bear the pain for two.
I told her that often I repeated to myself,
"He can't help it. He can't help it."
And I was so, so grateful that he didn't know.
A Caregiver's Verse
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we
are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but
we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but
God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but
we get up again and keep going."
—II Corinthians 4: 8-9