Time to Re-group

I realize that I really haven’t been keeping up with this blog in the way I had originally intended. The last month and a half has been quite hectic and that has nothing to do with Alma. Before I get into an update on how things are going with her, I would like to take a minute to re-focus. Our focus has shifted slightly as Alma is having a peaceful period and I have been able to attend to areas of my life that have been sorely neglected.

One of these areas would center on my children. To be fair, my oldest is in college and living on her own and is functioning well as a responsible young adult. However, I worry that my fourteen year old daughter has had a more difficult time adjusting to these changes and it makes sense. She is the one that was hoping for some one on one attention from her parents once her sister moved out and most of our attention has been focused on her grandmother.

I bring all of this to attention because of a recent gathering I had at my house where a friend was adamant about pointing out all of the possible negative impact that having a grandparent with Dementia living with us might produce. I found myself getting quite defensive with this person and justifying our decisions with a rant about the sad state of our society and the importance of multi-generational living. I was also caught off guard by this individual’s concerns because I met this person years ago when she was living on a commune in Rockbridge County. I thought if anyone would appreciate opening one’s home, it would be her. Nonetheless, she made excellent points about the impact and strain not only on the caregiver, but on the entire family. Perhaps I am being naïve but I would like to state “so far so good’. In other words, I stand by our decision and while this has been a bit of a balancing act, I feel the benefits outweigh the stressors. I just can’t help but feel that both of our children will benefit greatly from this opportunity.