..on the right path.

Almost every day I read of people living wretched lives. Because they feel wretched. They are miserable. Unhappy. Some are in depression. Feeling hopeless. Many are care-givers. For Alzheimer patients. I understand how they feel. Exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. I was there once upon a time, too. But I refused to stay in the pits. There's more to life. Yes, pleasure. Even in the midst of the worst of times. I insisted on respite. A break from wretched thoughts. If only for a few hours a day. Soon I discovered that being the care-giver to the woman I loved wasn't so bad. Indeed, it was rewarding. I was actually in love. Genuinely in love. And that made the care-giving easier. There was nothing I'd rather be doing than taking care of dear Jeanne. In a gentle and tender way. In a loving way. Because I also was taking care of myself. My taking time for respite. Yes, for love. Nothing is more stimulating and refreshing for the human spirit than love. Yes, that's what I learned in my respite time. Learned the intricacies of sweet love. Even today, almost 2 years after Jeanne died, I'm still in love. With life. Yes, Jeanne taught me to do that while she was dying. Jeanne took hold of me. And put me on the right path. All the way to Paradise. --Jim Broede