Have you ever said or done something in the spur of the moment and thought, “Wow! Where did that come from?” The other day I sat with a brilliant group of people I love and discussed this wonderful proverb: “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Proverbs 20:5. … Read more
I’ve heard it said that if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with. The two captivating desires of elderly residents I’ve cared for over the years have been to be in their own home and to have family visit everyday and care for them. They are almost obsessive desires. … Read more
They sit there giggling, staring into each others eyes, whispering empty nothings. They talk easily for hours on end obviously relishing each others company. And then there’s us. They take on life together, tackle trouble and relinquish it. Determined, sure, secure. And then there’s… Us wondering, doubting, struggling. Choosing to stay, … Read more
Today marks the end of my annual grief gauntlet. It starts subtly enough with the passing of summer, my favorite season. The weather gets cooler and the days shorter. Then I know it’s time to get my game face on. On September 29th five years ago, my sister passed away from ovarian cancer at the … Read more
We all know not to count our chickens before they hatch. A neighbor visited and chatted with my husband about wanting to incubate a batch of ducklings. She’d found a brand new incubator at an estate sale but didn’t know how to use it and was leaving for an extended period of time. They discussed … Read more
Part I: OXYTOCIN I took a magnificent Dementia class by fellow occupational therapist Teepa Snow. She taught a contact technique to use on people with dementia. She elaborated that it led to the release of Oxytocin, a hormone produced in mammalian brains. I call it our herd hormone. I later learned it controls social recognition … Read more