Stumble It!
I have dipped my toe in the waters of meditation and mindfulness from time to time, but having my husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's brought me to understand that I had no other option. I could sign myself into the psyche ward at the hospital, or change.
I'd already done caregiver duty for my father and ex-mother-in-law. I didn't manage that one well either, but was able to finally pull out of my depression with the help of medication, therapists, and the deaths of my charges.
When my husband started gradually showing more and more signs of dementia over the past two years, all I wanted to do was escape. "I can't do this again," my mind said. "But you must do it. You love him and he's been a good husband for 27 years. He deserves to be cared for. You'll do it whether you want to or not."
And so I did. But not gracefully.
