JOAN’S THANKSGIVING BLOG – NOVEMBER 21/22, 2007 – GIVING THANKS FOR WHAT WE STILL HAVE

Thanksgiving is upon us. School children are on vacation . Many workers get a four-day break . But there is no respite from Alzheimer’s Disease, not for those who suffer from it, nor for those of us who care for them. This disease permeates our lives, intrudes upon our joy, destroys our peace of mind, and breaks our hearts over and over again. So what, you may ask, do we have to be thankful for?  If we look deep into our lives, each of us has something for which we are able to give thanks.  Make your own list, but if any one of these below is on it, be thankful.

Children  -Those of you with children have those children’s lives and their future to be thankful for. Their love, their smiles, the help and support they (sometimes) provide – these are the lights in your life that is otherwise encompassed by darkness.

Grandchildren – What a joy are the grandchildren (so I am told) –  Play with them; spoil them; love them; and send them home when they fuss. 

Family – Sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers – of course there is strife at times, but if you have the love and support of any one of these family members, be thankful.

A Home – Do you have a comfortable place to live? A bed to sleep in at night?  How many millions of people around the world have neither?  For our home, we should be thankful.

Food on the table –None for millions of children in the world; Too much for most of us – for this we should be thankful.

The part of our spouse that is still with us – Those of us with spouses who still remember us – we should be thankful and cherish each moment with them.

Memories of a great love – Yes, Alzheimer’s Disease has stolen the loved one we treasured; but to have had that love at all is something to be thankful for.

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with sadness and tears that we forget what is good in our lives. As I read the Message Boards today, I empathized with every one of you who expressed such sorrow over what we have lost, but I would ask all of us to take this Thanksgiving break to try and focus on at least one positive aspect of our lives.  I hope it will lift us out of our depression for a few bright moments.

I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  Keep writing – I will check in on the Message Boards in between my cooking.

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