The Vicious Cycle
“If you have never had a loved one look at you without recognizing who you are, the idea of grieving the loss of someone that is standing right in front of you might seem counterintuitive. In fact, even those who have a loved one with profound dementia often have trouble resolving their own emotions. There may even be multiple times when you may grieve, recover, and then see your loved one slip even further away from you and experience that loss all over again. ” –Maria Shriver The above is so true that grief with a dementia patient is this vicious cycle: grieve, recover, discover another sign they’re slipping away, and then the cycle starts all over again. There are stretches of time where I feel strong and trust that God is taking care of Dad, helping my Mom, and walking with us. But then… Some days when the to-do list is a little bit shorter and the kids are growing more independent, it’s hard for the mind not to wander. Today is a blue day; one of those days where though