At peace. Yes, despite Alzheimer's.

Interesting, isn’t it? Many care-givers come to the Alzheimer's message boards because they want to be understood. They want compassion. From their fellow care-givers. Yet some of us find it difficult, if not impossible on occasion, to show the same sort of compassion toward our patients. We become frustrated. Discouraged. Disconsolate. And we feel sorry for ourselves. We wish someone would console us. Show us compassion. Give us respite. And understanding. Well, anyway, I've always found it much easier to show compassion and understanding to the patient, to the afflicted, to the likes of my Jeanne, than I did to care-givers in general. Hey, I was a care-giver for years and years. Proud of it, too. And I think I had it far easier than Jeanne. I came to the conclusion that Jeanne needed compassion and understanding and tender loving care. Lots of it. And far more than me. I was the lucky one in this scenario. Because I was still capable of being a care-giver. A darn good one, at least when it came to my beloved patient. In those final years, I learned not to get angry or annoyed any more. I exuded good vibes. Virtually all the time. For Jeanne’s sake. I stopped complaining. Because I loved Jeanne. Unconditionally. That made me feel good. At peace. Yes, despite Alzheimer’s. --Jim Broede