Happy Mother’s Day, Mom | by Linda Brendle

Helen Hagan Robinson, my beautiful mother, probably around 19 or 20 years old

Today was my first Mother’s Day without Mom, and it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

Another Blessed Year | by Linda Brendle

NYesterday was our 13th anniversary. I started to write a post about how our love story started, but I was having some computer issues and didn’t get it written. Then I realized that I wrote the story last year on his birthday, so here it is – my tribute to my husband David, the love of my life.

Follow this link to the post:

http://lifeaftercaregiving.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/birthdays-and-engagement-rings-by-linda-brendle/

Blessings,

Linda

Who Are You? | by Linda Brendle

A friend who is also a caregiver recently confided in me that one of the hardest parts of her job is not knowing who will greet her when she gets up in the morning. Will it be the confident, efficient, take-charge man she has known for half a century, or will it be the man who is struggling with a life-threatening illness, the one whose mind is fogged by pain and medications, the one who can’t remember how to tie his shoes?

I Want My Pills! | by Linda Brendle

Photo from KOA, Clayton, NM
http://koa.com/campgrounds/clayton/

 

This morning I took part in an on-line discussion on a caregiver website about medications for our carees. Medications played a big part in my stint as a caregiver, and I thought I’d share a section about the subject from my book.

 

Day 34, KOA Campground, Clayton, New Mexico:

 

We had a relaxing evening with laundry, dinner, TV, and medication maintenance. This twice a month job involved sorting various pharmaceuticals into pill organizers for The Kids. They were fascinated by the procedure and offered predictable comments.

Southridge Village’s Tribute to Mom | by Linda Brendle

Since Mom died on May 20 we’ve received a lot of sweet, heartfelt expressions of sympathy. There have been e-mails, notes on Facebook, cards, phone calls, and personal words of support. All of them have meant so much and have helped us deal with the grief, but I don’t think any of them has meant any more to me than the one we received today.

The Special World of Marriage | by Linda Brendle

When you blog, people sometimes give you topic suggestions. Some suggestions are good, and some make you want to ask Have you ever read my blog? But some make you stop and think. My husband David made one of those suggestions last week. We were driving to the library and the discussion turned to blog topics.

Characters and Stories | by Linda Brendle

We went to Bonham Wednesday so David could get his annual check-up at the VA facility. It’s a 150 miles round trip, but it’s a lot easier than driving to Dallas and fighting the traffic. Bonham is almost ten times bigger than Emory, but it still has a small town feel. Residents, especially the teenagers, probably feel like there’s nothing to do there, but there are lots of characters and lots of stories.

I Miss My Mom | by Linda Brendle

I miss Mom. I’ve missed her for a long time. For most of my life, I talked to her almost every day, but after Alzheimer’s invaded her mind, those talks gradually lost their meaning.

Mom was smart, but she was never an intellectual. She didn’t care much about politics or philosophy or current events. She cared about her family and the things that affected our lives directly.

The Cycle of Life | by Linda Brendle

We laid Mom to rest yesterday. We celebrated her life with a simple but heartfelt memorial service attended by a few relatives and close friends. It was the feminine version of the service we held for Dad 53 weeks ago.

Now Mom Remembers | by Linda Brendle

Helen Hagan Robinson 1921 – 2012

My sweet mother died last night in her sleep. I will love her and miss her every day for the rest of my life, but now she remembers. Save me a place at the table, Mom.

Read an old post called “Remembering.”

I love you, Mom.