Sleeper Cold

You've heard of forced labor. Well, today I practiced forced rest. With this sleeper cold I have, it's tempting to go about the day's housework and activities as if everything was normal. But of course, I know that the dry, hacking, ribs-breaking cough is enough to exhaust my body as much as any physical exertion. Even though I can pretend the coughing isn't really that big a deal. If I keep busy I won't even notice that it's there. Until it gets so bad I end up with pneumonia or bronchitis.

Isn't that how we treat some kinds of sin in our life? It's an annoying occurrence, but it really doesn't call for much concern. If I stay busy enough, it won't seem so bad. Besides, it could be far worse than it is. I'm sure it will just go away on its own, without any particular action on my part.

But will it really? That's what I like about the Sabbath. It's a time of rest that enables me to notice the "coughs" in my life and do something about them. Not a forced rest, but one that is highly recommended by the Great Healer himself.

Angels in the Room

All morning I fretted about what to say to my sister-in-law after the tragic death of Dean's brother yesterday. Words just can't convey the heartache she must be going through. And I truly didn't know what I could say that would bring her any comfort. There was no answer when I dialed her number, and I could only leave a message on her cell. I thought I was getting off the hook, at least for a short while.

Then Dean came home from his day program and after a short discussion about his brother, he wanted to call Roseanne. I was hesitant, because Dean's dementia can make him ramble on a bit long, and I didn't know if Roseanne could handle that. But I was amazed when he called, at how he said just the right things at all the right times to her, and he even asked if he could have prayer with her. She not only agreed, but said she was putting him on speaker phone so all the family there could hear him. As nervous as I was with this arrangement, Dean led an impeccably perfect prayer. I felt there were angels in the room, with wings that reached all the way to Idaho on phone wires.

Although he admits to not shedding tears himself over the loss of his only brother, God used him to comfort a grieving widow today. His emotions may not be intact, but his empathy is alive and well. I will treasure his words for a time when I may be that grieving widow.

Our Only Hope

We were given some sad news today. Dean's brother was killed in a truck and trailer accident near Salt Lake City, where he hauled hay and spuds back and forth to Idaho. He is the first of our siblings for us to lose, only 62 years old, and it just seems surreal. It just doesn't seem fair when you don't have a chance to say good-bye. Since we lived so many miles apart and didn't have daily communication with him, the loss will be easier for us. But I know his wife is going to need an enormous amount of strength in the days ahead.

The main comfort we have is that we shared the same faith in God. And because of this we have high hopes that we will see him someday in heaven. "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed...at the last trump..." I Cor. 15 Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Most Effective Cold Remedy

Most people have the luxury of having a respiratory episode sneak up on them. They have at least a day or so to get used to the idea that their symptoms are indeed leading up to a cold. Not me, I know it from the first scratch or tickle in my throat. One hour I sound fine and feel reasonably human, but the next hour I transform into a nose-blowing, coughing, gasping-for-air miserable invalid.

My family saw that in me today. I morphed right before their eyes and now I am just trying to hang on to some shreds of humanity and praying this is not one of my worst colds. The kind that puts me in the hospital. But if I'm lucky it will only mean a few sleepless nights with remnants hanging on for a couple of weeks. I've already whipped out the nebulizer and taken an antihistamine and an expectorant. My lungs are just too wimpy to handle these onslaughts like a normal person. Oh, I've drunk gobs of water too. That and rest are the only two natural remedies that seem to touch what I experience with a cold.

Oh, I've forgotten to include my most effective ingredient for cold survival. Lots of prayer. It's only natural, but it works the best of them all. My prayers and those of my loved ones. I wouldn't have the courage to face this without them. Thank you, Jesus, for the prayer remedy.

Change, For Better or Worse

I would like to write about a theme tonight that covers alot of the heart burdens I'm carrying around lately. That theme would be change. The changes that life brings that require no major decisions on our part, but the ones that are just handed to us without any preparation, training, or choice. The changes we're not sure we are capable of surviving.

Here are my current thoughts about change. My brother's family is seeking change in their job and financial situation. My sister's family is resisting change in their job and financial situation. The former wants life to get better; the latter wants to hold onto life as it is, so it doesn't get worse. Many other families can identify with these concerns about change.

Then there's the change with my husband's dementia. I'm not seeking it, of course. But I also know it's useless to resist it. My only concern is how to survive it. It's beginning to impact some major areas of our life.

The only thing that allows me to deal with these changes is how gracefully Dean is taking them. I know the Lord has to take major credit for that. Dean has always been a man of prayer. I compare him to David, who was said to have been a man after God's own heart, despite his tendency to fall away from Him at times. Dean has grown very close to God since his tractor accident, which gives me the most peace that any changes in the future will be God-ordained.

This also brings me to the conclusion that change isn't the real issue. It's how we relate to the change by constantly trusting God with the outcome. May His will be done. And after all, in the end the only change that will really matter is the one that will happen in the twinkling of an eye at the grand resurrection at Jesus' Second Coming. I Corinthians 15:51-52 Now there's a change I'm looking forward to.

Dean's Chat with God

Dean and I had different opinions about which radio station to listen to on the way to the doctor's office this afternoon, so we agreed to turn the radio off. I said I was going to use the time for silent prayer, hoping it would discourage him from telling me how to drive. Well, Dean thought prayer was a good idea, but his wasn't silent. He prayed out loud all the way across town, and it was quite an experience to hear his easygoing friendly chat with God. I almost expected to turn around and see God sitting in our backseat.

Isn't this how our prayer dialogue should be though? Just a one-on-one conversation with our best friend. He even pointed out the colorful sunset that was about to dress up the sky. As if God needed him to draw His attention to His own work of art.

The Sabbath hours have begun now and I pray I can be as intimate with God this day as Dean was on our car ride. After all, that's what the day was designed for. Of course, we're close to God all through the week, but on Sabbath, a day He has blessed, He especially wants our undivided attention. Every time I turn around, I know God will be especially close.

Dentist Visit

When does a simple dental exam become more complicated to a caregiver? When you are told that the sore in his mouth, which he's complained about for months, is actually a cyst and will need to have the attention of a pathologist. Home health nurses have been watching that sore, and it has improved. Our family doctor saw it and prescribed some medicine for it a while back. It was even noticed in ER when he first fractured his foot last fall and they prescribed a special mouthwash for it.

I only recall one nurse mention that perhaps he should see his dentist. But I waited until his regular dental exam to have that happen. Now I wish I had listened more closely to that one lone nurse. I feel like a lousy caregiver about now. Why didn't I get him to the dentist sooner?

On a spiritual level, I often hear from others about how to live my faith. There is good advice out there that would guide me in my Christian walk. Whole bookstores are devoted to the subject of religion. But the only safe source of information is from the Bible itself. We have to go to that source first, just as we should have seen the dentist first. To know God is to know His Word. Only He can diagnose your spiritual shortcomings and prescribe the cure.

92 Years Young

Today Dean and I visited a friend of mine, 92 years young, who had a stroke recently and now resides in an assisted living home. I call it a home, rather than a facility, because it definitely had the feel of a home. I like that. Nobody wants to reside in a place that resembles a hospital, even though sometimes the level of nursing care needed calls for that environment.

The lady we visited seems to have adjusted well to her new living arrangement, although she loved having her own apartment for as long as she did. Before her stroke, she had a unique ministry. She cut out storytelling felts for missionaries to bring to children in other countries. It was alot of work to cut out and assemble those large sets of felts, but she worked at it with a passion. And few people knew of her immense undertaking.

Since she has moved into the assisted living home, she has changed her missionary goals and now considers herself a missionary right where she's at. She no longer is able to cut the felts because of the stroke, but she is a great Christian witness to her new friends there. She was an inspiration to Dean and I, and our visit was meant to benefit her. I think God knew she was ready for a rest, but He still allows her to serve Him in a meaningful way by telling others of her faith. How willing are we to let God guide us in the choice of a ministry and be satisfied with His choice as she has done?

Building Lasagna

As I "built" my lasagna for supper tonight, it struck me that there are an infinite number of ways to make lasagna, and I have tried alot of them. It's somewhat of a surprise to see how delicious it turns out most of the time. I've come to the conclusion that it must be pretty hard to make a bad lasagna. I have had lasagna that's too soupy or too dry, but those seem to be about the only flaws one can make.

While I pondered this, I remembered a phone conversation with my sister earlier in the day. We were talking about parenting, and how different our adult children's lives can be. Shouldn't they all turn out the same, if they have the same parents? Evidently not. We "build" our children, using different ingredients, in different amounts, and in a different order. Just like lasagna. We can only hope our efforts are rewarded, as they turn into adults. That is our desire and that is how we have planned them to turn out. It's hard to understand how hopes are sometimes dashed.

Jesus must have had similar disappointments and questions, considering the sorry state His disciples were in, even right up to the Last Supper. It took a miracle to get them to the place of growing and leading the early church. And miracles can still happen for our adult children. Our faith and prayers are just as valuable as our parenting skills, or even lack of them. Parents can make a difference, even after the children have long left our home and care. Just pray without ceasing. I Thess. 5:17

Our Caregiver Spouse

Today we had a home visit from my husband's services coordinator from Aging Partners, as our local agency on aging is called. I went over the many papers specifying what help he was getting and from whom. Repeatedly, I, the spouse, was listed as his provider, and commented that I'd forgotten just how much I was doing for his care. Basically, I'm his primary caregiver, and all the others are just supporting staff to make it possible to have him at home.

Sadly enough though, I'm the only service provider who isn't paid. And only because I'm his spouse. Evidently, those vows we take at our weddings are taken pretty seriously by the public. We are expected to take care of our loved ones, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, but without pay. At least pay of the dollar bill variety.

I am paid in ways that can't be tallied though. Just to be married to the same man for 35 years is a kind of reward. The sense that I truly make the difference in at least one person's life is another valuable bonus. The everyday challenges of making this household run, from the doctor's appointments to how to buy my next set of car tires, give me a feeling of being inventive and competent. But most of all, they prompt me to go to the real Source of my competency, our Lord and Savior. Now there's a Spouse we can depend on, the Caregiver of the caregiver. And His services are free too.

Silent Auction

My parents passed away a little over a year ago now and we are still trying to find a place for some of their earthly belongings. We had some items in a silent auction this weekend at a train show and so I called to see how much money was bid on our dad's railroad treasures. It was rather disheartening to discover that only a couple of things had sold. I had envisioned at least minimum bids on everything, as dad's treasures had become mine over the last year that I have kept them, and therefore everyone would be wanting them. Not so.

Is this how the Father in heaven felt after giving up His only Son? Even as a gift, most people have rejected this treasure of all treasures. How can we be so blind when it comes to the value of our Savior? Shouldn't we all be wanting Him?

But then, I got to thinking that probably there just weren't enough people at the train show who happened to get to the silent auction tables. I should have been there, directing them to our precious items.

So, perhaps I have an obligation when it comes to Jesus' amazing gift as well. Am I somewhat to blame for some of those rejections? I need to be standing nearby, directing people to the valuable gift--Jesus, our most wonderful treasure of all.

Church at Home

Due to some medicine changes, we stayed at home today instead of going to church. It felt like church though as Dean led us through song service. Kind of nice getting to make all the song selections ourselves. Then after prayer, I read a mission story from a church magazine. We stopped in the middle of it, just because we wanted to. Then I taught from the lesson I had prepared for my class at church. There was alot of class participation, even though Dean WAS the class. After an opening song and prayer again, termed by Dean as the invocation, Dean announced that the church ladies would go to the basement at that time to begin preparing for our dinner later. Holding in a chuckle, I took this as my signal to start dinner, while Dean listened to a Bible CD reading of the book of Romans.

Not long after our dinner, but long enough for Dean to begin asking what else there was to eat, someone from church came by and blessed us with a couple of plates of food from the fellowship dinner at church. After they left, I laid down for a short nap, while Dean blessed himself by eating one of the plates of food and most of the desserts.

All in all, it felt like a pretty normal Sabbath in the Thompson household. Which just shows that you can take Dean out of the church, but you can't take the church out of Dean. And truly, I wouldn't want him any other way.

I'd Better Listen

I made several car trips today and with the weather so nice, it was a joy to bring my little doggy companion along. She sits very dignified on my lap while I'm driving, all five pounds of her looking out the window. I half expect her to tell me if any cars are coming on the left when we're at stop signs. She thinks she's helping me drive, I'm sure.

I want Jesus to be the "driver" of my life. But I hope, in my efforts to be close to Him, I don't restrict His steering. Just as Minnie can get in the way at times, I probably do cramp His style and make His driving more difficult, when I think I'm doing nothing but being a help.

There is a more comfortable seat for Minnie though, and sometimes she takes advantage of it. There's a perfect ledge for her on the top of the back seat which gets all the sun's rays through the back window. And the view is much more inclusive. I should encourage her to use this lovely perch more.

Do you think Jesus has a better place for me to sit? I better listen to His directions. I heard my husband say to a pastor once, "Are you a man of God?...Then I'd better listen." Wise words for a man with dementia.

Just Fluff

You know your husband has dementia from a brain injury, when you automatically check the microwave occasionally to see if he has forgotten any food there. When you have listened to the same TV episode of Bonanza three times in one day, at quite high volume, I might add. When he's still asking you what day it is, not just when he gets up in the morning, but when he's about to go to bed, even though you have it posted in several places around the house. When you double-check his pill organizer to make sure he's taken his medicine, even when he's told you he has.

But the most incredible part of having a husband with dementia is all the hugs you receive in one day. And the amount of times he asks you to stop and pray about something. What would I do without his hugs and prayers? All the rest is just fluff.

A Bump in the Road

Have you ever wondered sometimes if you had a friend in the world? There was a time today when I could not get in touch with anyone by phone and needed to share a particular heartbreaking circumstance in my life. It was just very important to talk to someone out loud about the event and there was no one who seemed available or appropriate to talk with about it. I ended up crying out loud to God about it and realized that I was never without a friend, because He is always available, appropriate, and most of all, full of wisdom and comfort.

I believe God directed me to call my daughter. We don't think to call our adult children sometimes, but there's no one better acquainted with our problems than they are. And you know they already love and care for you. It was the right thing to do. Fortunately, she was available and we had a good discussion about caregiving for her dad.

Then it just happened to be the night for our brain injury support group and I was able to connect with other caregivers and tap into their wisdom and courage. So, the Lord led me through a pretty trying day and provided just the right people to help me over this little bump in the road. Because I know that after putting my whole life in perspective, that's all it will be. Just a little speed bump to slow me down and make me take notice once again of all my support, especially from the throne room of God where in desperation I directed an urgent call for help.

It Is NOT Finished

Today seemed like a day of getting things half-done. Dropped my nephew off at work, but the roads were so slick, I let him off in front of the building instead of going into the parking lot. Then I filled out a form, but couldn't complete it without my husband's signature. Thought I was through paying bills, until the mailman came and brought more of them. I worked on my Sabbath School class notes for teaching this coming week, but didn't complete it.  This blog has even been sitting here awhile, half-done, while I made some more reminder phone calls for our brain injury support group tomorrow.

When I really stop and think about it, my work on earth won't ever be done until I draw my last breath. Isn't that how all of us operate? People talk about retiring, so their work will be done and they'll have nothing to do. But I just don't see that happening very often. People become very unhappy with nothing to do. We should rejoice that the work just keeps coming. It means we have a purpose for living.

Even God gave Adam and Eve something to do in the Garden of Eden. They were to dress and keep it. Even with no weeds, I imagine that was no small task. Thank you, God, for keeping me busy. Maybe tomorrow I'll complete at least one of my projects though. If I don't lie in bed, HALF-awake tonight!

Miracle Food

Nothing like a middle-of-the-month online bank account check to totally depress a person. I know about now I have to slow down my spending in order to make the money stretch to the end of the month, but it is so unnerving to discover if you spend ANY more you will be overdrawn by then. I hate that, but it's a reality for many, many people these days. There's always more month than there is money.

I do draw some solace in the fact that I return God's tithe. And if I really keep my spending for needs only, my needs always seem to be met. That's such a relief in this hurting economy. I think of the widow who fed the prophet Elijah the last of her food. Before he left he told her, "The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry..." What a miracle that was! You could make a nice tortilla with some flour and oil. Or a pancake, or some flatbread, or a nice cracker. Whatever it was, it was made with miracle ingredients.

So, from here on out, I will not complain about not having enough, but will look at what I have as a gift from heaven.

Tax Refund Wait

This time of year many people are waiting for their income tax refunds to arrive. I think most people are ACTIVELY waiting. In other words, they are "making a list" for how they will spend that refund money. My nephew was actively waiting for his and when it arrived he instantly knew which store to visit first. The money was already spent in his mind and it didn't take long for it to get spent in the store.

We Christians are looking forward to a place in heaven. Are we ACTIVELY waiting for it though? Can you picture yourself there, having a picnic by the river of life or entertaining friends in your own customized mansion? What academic pursuits are you looking forward to pursuing there? Being a librarian, I want to browse through the books of life. I've always loved biographies. If you're an animal lover, you will have any species you desire to study or just lavish with love. For the medically inclined, to study the wonder of how our bodies operate will still be a fascination worth your attention.

I used to think my mother spent too much time talking about heaven--that it was a sign of old age to focus on our future in eternity, when there was so much to do yet here on earth. But now I believe her inclination to think and talk so much about heaven was just an indication of growing closer to God. The longer we live, the closer we get to our Maker, and the greater the longing to actually be in His presence in heaven. I find myself these days starting to "make a list". Heaven can't come soon enough--just like our tax refunds.

Shock from the Electric Company

The most distasteful part of my day was having to call the electric company and ask them why I was given a disconnect notice yesterday. I was totally positive it was all a mistake. I looked up my last two months' check stubs for the bills I had paid. They were both paid in full and on time. So, how could I possibly get a bill for over two hundred dollars and be disconnected?

To my dismay, I learned that I missed one payment last fall. I vaguely remember a check coming back in the mail as undeliverable for some reason. But I must have assumed that it would be corrected on next month's bill. Unfortunately this caused me to go off the budget plan (where I only paid about $60 every month) and get charged the actual amount of usage for last month.

So, my advice is don't mess with the I.R.S. and also don't mess with the electric company. But really and truly, my advice is don't assume you're right, even when you think you are. Period.

And the same goes for God. You may think you are right and good in His eyes. But give Him a prayer call. He just might have to set you straight on a few things. It's a humbling experience.

Heaven Is For Kids

Looking through a closet the other day, I found a doll that some friends gave us years ago as a souvenir from a mission trip to Russia. It's one of those colorfully painted wooden peasant dolls that has several other dolls nested in, so you have several sizes of dolls when you are finished opening each one. My three-year-old granddaughter was thrilled to see each doll and got so excited each time she saw another one inside a doll.

When we get to heaven, we will all be like children, running around to see so many new things. And each will be so new and exciting, our eyes will sparkle and shine with amazement, just like Jenna's did. I wonder if Jesus will be standing by to observe our reactions as we explore this New Earth He is preparing for us. Oh, the wonders He has for us to discover. Our imaginations can't contain the things He has for us there. Won't it be fun?! Jesus did say we must become like little children. I can't wait for the Day and the adventures He has planned for us in heaven.

265 To Go

Number one hundred post coming up! I actually am beginning to feel like a real blogger. But better than that, I now feel like a writer too. Before I felt like an avid reader, an excellent proofreader and editor, but just a so-so writer.

Having people actually read my blog means so much. For me, it's the time of day when I sit down and contemplate where God was in my day. I hope it has encouraged other people to do the same. For God is everywhere, trying to speak His wisdom through all the everyday happenings in our life.

My sister, who was just miraculously spared in an automobile accident, has an order for 365 blogs, to last a whole year. So I've just got 265 to go. God is so great. I'm sure I won't run out of material. In a year, or in a lifetime. It's easy to write about your best Friend (God) for your best friend (your sister). Get well, my angel sister!

Our Anchor

Today I got a phone call from the realtor that brought good news for once to our family! At last my parents' house sold, the one we've had on the market almost a year now. The final selling price was significantly less than we were hoping to get at first. But after waiting this long, any amount sounds good.

Here's where I could veer off into a thousand remembrances of my parents and the house that I spent my early years in. I have a picture of me standing in front of it on my first day of school. It will be painful to go to Council Bluffs in the morning and sign all the papers there at the very empty house, but I know God will get me through it somehow.

This past year has had its share of family crises. Our parents were our anchors, and it has felt like we were adrift at first without them. In dealing with these difficult situations, however, my siblings and I are learning that the only anchor we really need is our Lord and Savior. And that is a far more valuable legacy from our parents than the sale of any home. God is truly all we need.

The Day After

How nice of the sun to shine so brightly on the freshly-fallen snow from yesterday. The wind even stopped its cold distraction, so we could focus on the glistening white landscape. Along with the brightness of the sun was a warmth that melted away all the bad feelings in the wake of yesterday's snowstorm.

Once again people took to their vehicles and invaded the stores for supplies they forgot to get just two days previous, before the storm hit. But this time the shoppers were wearing their happy faces, instead of their woe-is-me-how-much-snow-will-we-get faces.

When storms threaten to impact our lives, we should try to envision the day after the storm. What a different world it will be for us, when the storm passes. God will help us live for "the day after".

Don't Mess with Mother Nature

We've had a beautiful, snow-covered wonderland to look at all day from our living room windows. Snow is so gorgeous the first day or two, before we humans start leaving our footprint and tire track signatures everywhere. We'll soon witness the pure, white landscape transformed into a dirty, messy muck wherever mankind leaves his mark.

Being Sabbath, I was thinking about how our Creator God made us in His image. We love to create too. But left to our own devices and without His help, we have a knack for messing up what God has created. Environmentalists, at least those who believe in God, would agree with this. We have done a lot to ruin our environment over the years.

And what have we done with the delicious menu God gave to Adam and Eve? Our tired, old world still has a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains to entice our appetites. But we insist on creating our own dishes with a combination of foods and spices that don't provide the nutrition we were meant to have. Often with unhealthy results.

We only have to look at a crowd of people to see our paltry attempts to create beauty on our bodies too. We forget that the kind of beauty that counts is on the inside. To me, an extreme form of altering God's creation is when we allow our bodies to be tattooed and/or pierced. What message does this send to God? "You didn't create me beautiful enough. I need to improve on the body you gave me. Let me be a human billboard of man's art. And while I'm at it, I really need to put holes in my body to hang rocks. Why didn't you provide that, God?" ...You get the idea.

Share a Jesus "Cookie"

Why, oh why, did I try to do all my errands in one day? They just seemed to fall out of the sky from nowhere. After all week hibernating pretty close to home, today I was barely home long enough to grab a banana for lunch.

I was particularly intrigued with all the grocery shoppers getting in their pre-snowstorm purchases before the storm hits tomorrow. This was more than the normal Friday-before-the-weekend rush. People were waiting in line so long that one of the employees came around passing out cookies to shoppers and apologizing for the long wait. Most everyone took a cookie with a smile. It did seem to sweeten up the atmosphere.

That employee reminded me of the duty of every Christian. Our Christian duty is to share a Jesus "cookie" with those waiting for the big event of His Second Coming. There were so many people packed in that store today, waiting in the checkout lines, but it only took the effort of one employee to lighten up the mood of almost everyone there. We Christians may be small in number, but our influence, when sweetened by the lovely Lord Jesus, can make all the difference to a dying world.

Creative Caregiving

I've lost track of how many visits we've made to the podiatrist to see how Dean's foot has healed since he fractured it last summer. Today was another visit, but we surprised the doctor with a stubbed little toe that now shows a fracture too. Oh, woe is me, does it ever end?!

Mostly his "treatment" has been protective footwear of some kind that Dean is sporadic in wearing. Today, she recommended a post-op surgical shoe, just to give the toe some support and protection. But insurance wouldn't cover it, so I resorted to Wally-World and found some slippers that will just have to suffice. Being a caregiver has certainly challenged my powers of creativity.

In mapping out our lives, I wonder how many times God has had to adjust our "treatment plans" because we aren't fully complying with His ordained plan, or maybe the needed remedies are not available to us. I really do believe that God is watching diligently over all the details of our life too. First Peter 5:7 says, "Let him have all our worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." The Living Bible

I'm familiar with alot of caregiver resources in the community, but not one claims it will take on ALL my worries and cares. What a gem of a resource! And it just begs to be shared!

My Appreciation List

I feel a need tonight to tell the world what I appreciate about my husband. His faith in God's care is strong. He finds it easy to witness about God to others and often does. He loves going to church. He likes to read, especially anything religious. He finds it easy to forgive, and not hesitant to ask for forgiveness. He often tells me he loves me and appreciates all I do as his caregiver. He knows his weaknesses and tries to stay humble. He doesn't complain about his limitations (and with dementia, they seem to be growing every day).

There are many more qualities I could mention, but there were events in our day that caused me to go to "my appreciation list" which I have had for almost a year now. He is still all these things, thank God. And I just pray that whatever is in our future, I can look on this day and many others with pride in who my husband is and was.

He may be losing his memory, but I pray to hold on to my remembrances of good times for the both of us.