Have you ever felt lonely in a crowded room? I have. There I was, surrounded by people at a party, everyone chatting and smiling, while I stood there feeling completely invisible. Despite the physical proximity, I felt a million miles away from everyone. Isolation can take many forms. Sometimes it’s physical—being unable to leave the […]

Say Goodbye to Caregiver Guilt   Many caregivers struggle with feelings of guilt. This adds to the already challenging work they are doing day in and day out. Let’s learn how to say goodbye to caregiver guilt.   What is Caregiver Guilt?  It’s hard to solve a problem we can’t identify, so let’s start by […]

Confession: I’ve always found New Year’s Eve a bit bittersweet. Most people love the celebrations, the dropping of the ball, clinking champagne glasses and kissing their sweetheart at midnight, but somehow, it strikes me as a sad time. As “Auld Lang Syne” plays in the background, I muse about the might-have-beens—things I didn’t accomplish, words […]

The doctor’s words were devastating. He kept a neutral expression as he explained to my husband, “Your mother has had a major bleed in her left frontal lobe.” My beloved mother-in-law was incapacitated, and we had to figure out the best way to help her. The doctor continued to explain her treatment options: she could […]

My son glared at the nurse with every ounce of emotion his young body could muster. He was furious. I couldn’t blame him—he wasn’t actually mad at her, but rather at his situation. And who could fault him? I would be grumpy too if I hadn’t been allowed to eat for several days. After nearly […]

  I looked at the dangling power line with a wary eye. My husband drove the lead car in our little evacuation caravan and cleared the obstacle without incident. Still, I sat with my foot on the brake, contemplating the risk of getting electrocuted if I came into contact with the downed wire.   My […]

  The Power of Prayer   “Please let Jampa get better so he can come home,” my daughter pleaded as we said our nightly prayers. It broke my heart to see the sadness on her precious face as she earnestly asked the Lord to heal her grandfather of Alzheimer’s disease. My father-in-law had recently been […]

The classroom was in absolute chaos. The rowdy group of 3-year-olds bounced around the room like pieces in a pinball game. I took a deep breath and announced, “Okay class, let’s return to our seats on the rug.” One of the eight children glanced my way, but the other seven didn’t even break stride. “Turn […]

My child stood in front of me, a miniature drone dangling from her scalp. Just a few minutes after our New Year’s Eve celebration, this is how we were starting the new year. I had barely crawled into bed when a timid knock on my door interrupted the silence. My son, the drone pilot, sheepishly […]

The Struggle of Feeling Alone and Overwhelmed I was as alone as I had ever felt. The IV machine beeped, and the hallway lights were dim. Nurses and patient techs moved quietly across the corridors with their rubber-soled shoes while I sat silently at my son’s bedside. I missed my husband, my kids, and my […]