Today was a hectic day. I had every intention of this post going live this morning, but I’m glad I’m getting this posted before midnight! Below will shine a light as to why and also why February 28th is such a precious day to me on so many levels.
The First is Grief
Grief, because this is the anniversary of my mother’s death. Nine years ago, today she passed away after living her last 30 years with dementia. In fact, upon her autopsy, we found out mom hit the trifecta. Not only did she have Alzheimer’s disease, but she had Lewy Body and Parkinson’s disease. Through my caring journey for my mother, she taught me so many beautiful life lessons. Mom, I truly miss you every single day.
The Second is Gratitude
Gratitude, for many reasons, but I will limit it to three today.
1) The opportunity I was given to care, for not only my mother living with dementia but my father with brain cancer. Giving back to them was a gift to me, and the life lessons they taught me along the way made me a better person. I will be forever grateful.
2) Recently, I became a grandma again. This time to Saylor Rose who melts my heart as I watch my daughter and her family expand and how each of them cares for and loves this beautiful little human being. I will love them all forever to the moon and back.
3) Last, my keynote speech Betty the Bald Chicken – Lessons in How to Care, which I have done for years is now available in book form. This story came to me in a dream and all I saw and heard was the word Alzheimer’s and a picture of a bald chicken. One night at 2am I woke up from a dream. It was relentless. It played over and over again in my head. Below illustrates what my dream.
Being older when I had this dream, I knew I would not go back to sleep until I got up and wrote the story that was being given to me. Since then, I’ve been telling Betty the Bald Chicken’s story for years. Audience members always asked for it to be in book form, but I never got around to it. To me, the timing is perfect now, as Betty the Bald Chicken isn’t just about dementia, but anytime a person feels they don’t fit in. It might be someone being bullied, a person going through a divorce, a death of a loved one, various chronic illnesses that we must adjust to, or downright discrimination in all its forms.
Betty teaches us hope and resilience. She shines a light on the impact we have on others and what we can do to make our home, school, work, community, and the world a better place to live.
There are questions toward the back of the book to help all ages open up about their feelings. They can look at how they are treated by others and how they themselves treat other people and the impact that has on everyone.
I hope you will join me in creating a safe space for difficult conversations about our feelings and overall mental health. This book is ideal for families, schools, libraries, therapists, and workplaces.
Here is a sneak peek at Betty the Bald Chicken
You can purchase your book through any of the following:
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Thank You in Advance for Your Reviews Posted to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
The Third is Passion
Passion for life. Passion for the people in my life. Passion to make the world a better place. Looking back on my life, I have no question my life like others is part of a master plan. One which puts obstacles on our path to challenge us. To see how we will react. Will we succumb to difficult times, or will we adapt, learn, and challenge circumstances finding new ways to cope with our situations?
In a very strange way, I find myself lucky to have had someone I love so deeply have dementia. Although I would not wish the disease on my worst enemy, I have found that loving deeply also allows us to fight fearlessly. To look for and create new ways to support those we love. To help others and give hope so often missing for those living with or alongside dementia.
Fresh eyes, of those living in the trenches, often see things differently from organizations, bureaucratic, and government agencies. As difficult as a journey can be, knowing you are helping others ease their burden and remove their isolation is satisfying. It gives purpose to tough situations.
I am thankful for my experience which turned into a life role that allows me to be driven by passion. This allows me to have a job that doesn’t feel like work and helps others worldwide. To me, that is a huge blessing.
This article was written by Lori La Bey the founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Alzheimer's Speaks Blog 