I thought about home the whole time I was away. And it dawned on me that, although my grandson is great in every way, caring for a preschooler has definite similarities to my caregiving duties in Ohio.

Though we have hard days and life is like a yo-yo right now, I am thankful for a God who listens and comes to help me through the rough spots.

I’m learning—and I’m determined to keep learning—that joy follows gratitude, not the other way around.

I have a confession. Even though I’ve been doing ministry for 50 years and have been a believer for 55 years or so, I still have more questions about prayer than I have answers.

Protecting from the pain and loss that comes with all of life, preserving beauty for just a little while longer. These are the tasks of every caregiver.

In our house, we are determined to take just one day at a time, relying on God, and not to jump into the future and steal the joy God is giving us today.

Memories from birthdays past are a gift to ME as we celebrate again today.

Our journey began in 2005, and the years since then have been filled with surprises, challenges, grief—and blessings. Many blessings.

Holding tight to the past is not a strategy that brings peace. I learned an important lesson from a caregiver friend.

No matter how I sacrifice or what I know, love is the key that gives caregiving its power.

Before I could ask her, my friend volunteered to solve the problem I couldn’t figure out how to handle. God answered my prayer when I hadn’t even prayed it!

The song doesn’t describe how our life has turned out. But it does describe the commitment I’m holding on to.

Maybe you can use the advice from the magazine article I should have read several years ago: “The ultimate guide to building resilience so you can bounce back from tough times.”

I really wanted to care for my dad. But I found myself with a bad attitude trying to handle all the new responsibilities. What could I do?

Our nurturing weekend with friends has become an annual tradition. But when will it be time for us to give it up?

I’ll count it as a blessing that one gift of caregiving is seeing life with clearer perspective.

“It’s easy to stay in denial,” I admitted to him with quivering voice when he gave us the test results that day. And it’s still easy. Even easier, I’m deciding, to be in denial about being in denial.

Not only do most Americans worship success, but they are also haunted by failure. What does this mean for the caregiver when his world is reduced to helping someone survive?

If a picture can be worth a thousand words, maybe several pictures can take the place of the 750 or so I write here every Wednesday. Snapshots from a summer visit here . . .

Along with the tears have come several smiles. Even living with Alzheimer’s, I’m learning to nurture a sense of humor.