I appreciate your reminder that a rule of must include love of God and our neighbors, otherwise it can become nothing more than a spiritual-ish agenda for the day. Prayers for you and your mom. My siblings and I are working hard to keep my 92 year old mother both safe & content-not an easy task, and even more so for you by your self.
You have a lot on your plate and a lot on your mind. I’m sorry to hear that you are processing next level care decisions for your mother. So far, that process was the hardest thing I ever had to work through. I will be praying for you.
Like Michele M says, working through the process of caring for a parent with dementia or other chronic illness needs is the toughest thing we work through as adults. Doing that about broke me. I was firmly ensconced in the "daughter" role in her mind, even though in more lucid moments she recognized she needed my guidance. It made for some very difficult moments where others had to intervene for both our sakes. (Long story best reserved elsewhere.)
Unfortunately, those episodes in my life where I was extremely stressed or grieving caused my creative juices to shut down. Writing became a huge effort and I felt strongly that anything I had to say either had already been said or would not be helpful to others. Managing my time turned into simply moving through each day doing what HAD to be done. I couldn't think forward more than one day at a time, even while in the back of my mind I kept thinking that I needed to be more focused, more productive, more...something I wasn't.
Prayers for you, your mother, and your family as you navigate these waters and make difficult decisions.
This is so important, Jen. Thank you. As a writer and spiritual director helping others find practices that lead them to intimacy with God, it can be tempting to forget the ultimate aim. A professor in my spiritual direction training program talked about how spiritual formation and practices can often be aimed at wellbeing (wholeness, balance, health, etc.) rather than Christlikeness. This is very murky water, but an important corrective. I'd read your book!
I appreciate your reminder that a rule of must include love of God and our neighbors, otherwise it can become nothing more than a spiritual-ish agenda for the day. Prayers for you and your mom. My siblings and I are working hard to keep my 92 year old mother both safe & content-not an easy task, and even more so for you by your self.
Not easy when shared or alone!!
You have a lot on your plate and a lot on your mind. I’m sorry to hear that you are processing next level care decisions for your mother. So far, that process was the hardest thing I ever had to work through. I will be praying for you.
I’m really grateful for your prayers!
Like Michele M says, working through the process of caring for a parent with dementia or other chronic illness needs is the toughest thing we work through as adults. Doing that about broke me. I was firmly ensconced in the "daughter" role in her mind, even though in more lucid moments she recognized she needed my guidance. It made for some very difficult moments where others had to intervene for both our sakes. (Long story best reserved elsewhere.)
Unfortunately, those episodes in my life where I was extremely stressed or grieving caused my creative juices to shut down. Writing became a huge effort and I felt strongly that anything I had to say either had already been said or would not be helpful to others. Managing my time turned into simply moving through each day doing what HAD to be done. I couldn't think forward more than one day at a time, even while in the back of my mind I kept thinking that I needed to be more focused, more productive, more...something I wasn't.
Prayers for you, your mother, and your family as you navigate these waters and make difficult decisions.
This is so important, Jen. Thank you. As a writer and spiritual director helping others find practices that lead them to intimacy with God, it can be tempting to forget the ultimate aim. A professor in my spiritual direction training program talked about how spiritual formation and practices can often be aimed at wellbeing (wholeness, balance, health, etc.) rather than Christlikeness. This is very murky water, but an important corrective. I'd read your book!