“Count your blessings, name them one by one…”
We find ourselves re-framing things in order to shift to a more desired outcome. We are grateful that even Mom is picking up on that and will pause, breathe it in and then take the next steps. We are truly blessed to be a part of this phase of her life and I know that as we go through our regular getting dressed or ready for bed routines, that she still finds joy.
“See” with eyes of gratitude the “gifts” of each day. I’ve just started the list… what will you add? #nurturedheart #GrowinGreatness #Greatitudes
We have the opportunities to make many choices each and every day in this journey of ours. Yesterday’s choices could have taken us down a whole other road — and neither of us would have been happy about the results. I’ve no doubt that the choice to let go of the “routine” and schedule planned for her day was the best choice ever. She just wasn’t into it and any pushing we might try wasn’t going to get us anywhere.
Personally, I don’t ever want her to feel unloved at any point or that she was “putting us out” because she was having a difficult time making choices that we would consider easy and rather mundane. I was with deepest love and gratitude we honored her for making some difficult decisions yesterday. I’ve no doubt she struggled to make a few of the choices — they were hers to make in her own time frame. It would have been so much easier to just sleep and stay in bed. But she didn’t.
Since she’s spent most of the night awake, today, will likely be a repeat of yesterday — giving us, her caretakers, another opportunity to be eternally grateful that we can spend another day together.
With our deepest gratitude and love. Thanks, Mom.
Be fearless in your next step forward with gratitude in your heart.
Make it a #bestday filled with #gratitude and #Greatitude. #GrowinGreatness
Take a few minutes to pause today and share your gratitude about what is going right in that moment. Breathe. Exhale. Share those good feelings from your heart with someone you care deeply about. If you can’t share them, write them down in your gratitude journal to reflect upon later.
Seek, the good, the better, the best. Don’t settle for anything less.
#nurturedheart #GrowinGreatness #bestday #Greatitudes
One of the things I love the most about living in a Nurtured Heart® way is that we find we are kinder, gentler, more forgiving and yet the boundaries are very clear. Mom really doesn’t like to move any more frequently than she has to. Getting up and down is difficult for her and her knees just don’t like to oblige at times. Yesterday was definitely one of them. However, we have promised her primary physician that she will “move” every couple of hours throughout her awake times. So up it is.
Re-framing our statements to I need you to… or let’s do this together makes it so much easier and we often find a smile on her face as we acknowledge her strength and will power to make what may have seemed impossible seconds before HAPPEN in a very positive way.
As she struggles to rise from the chair, we acknowledge the strength and power in her arms and upper body… she works hard every week in PT to keep that upper strength even though she dislikes the exercises, they are helping her. Every step forward, even the pauses as she contemplates how to move the foot, leg and even toes is met with “You’re cruising! Look at how deliberately you’re placing your left foot in front of and to the left of your right foot. Thanks for bringing your foot around the wheel of the walker so carefully. You didn’t bang a single toe! ” Acknowledgement and accomplishments rolled into one bring a smile to her face and I’ve not doubt are logged in as “I DID it.”
Even when her legs aren’t cooperating as well as we all would like and the walker becomes a wheelchair for the move, she does shuffle her feet along the way or lifts them which in turn does require more strength and concentration that we are excited to acknowledge and give lots of credit for despite her desire to just stay put in her chair for the day.
It’s not hard to see what’s going well — or to push a little more for her best, because we know it’s there.
We know that as she continues to go along her path, she will never be alone. That’s the best we can provide for her and we are so happy to have the privilege to walk alongside.
*To learn more about the Nurtured Heart Approach®, click here.
Grow. Seek. Look. Dream. BE!
#nurturedheart #GrowinGreatness #Greatitudes
“Look for the best in each day” — has become our motto. Be grateful for each and every moment of lucidity, joy, every smile and laughter. They do become our treasures.
Take a few minutes and enjoy the every day sort of things that surround you.
Every day as we get Mom ready for her day, we have the opportunity to check the landscape through a high window in the bathroom. Sunday, the sky was a brilliant blue and the gold and yellow hued leaves still filled the branches of the tree.. Yesterday, there were fewer leaves on the trees and the sky was a dusty kind of blue with a few scattered clouds. I’ve no doubt that Mom can envision a beautiful watercolor image on a canvas using her favorite brushes to create a “masterpiece” on a canvas as we “paint” a picture describing the beauty of what lies beyond the glass every day.
Sadly, her abilities to paint have been stripped away by Alzheimer’s. Her hands shake as she holds the brush and even drawing a line or what we would consider a simple shape now eludes her and no doubt causes her great sadness as tears sometimes welled in her eyes..
What we do know it that she loves the beauty that nature provides her in every day moments and ordinary things. Be it a flower, twig, rock or a pine cone; a leaf, a smile, or a kind word, a snapshot of a family member, friend or the mountains. They all bring great joy to her heart.
Consider pausing today — look out the window, look at the sky, take a walk. Enjoy and treasure today.
Give yourself a most precious gift…
believe in YOU!
(image credit: Oh So Shabby by Debbie Reynolds)
Yesterday, I was met with a wall of frustration — my inability to get something that should have been so easy to finish, DONE! I had to walk away from it. Leaving it cluttering my work space overnight – I woke up this morning, looked over at the the mess on the table and decided it wasn’t worth more frustration and disappointment in knowing and seeing that the face of the project was still warped despite the weight I’d placed on it hoping I would have a workable surface today, isn’t usable at all for this project.
Seeing what I see now, this small segment of the larger project just wasn’t meant to work — and guess what? This morning, I’m okay with that — and that’s the GIFT! It actually opens more possibilities AND I can take this project in a new direction — make it “more” than the original project idea was meant to be.
Today the gift is seeing beyond the original idea — envisioning more potential and growing in the process.
Embrace the good that is in every heart.
#nurturedheart #GrowinGreatness #Greatitudes
Embrace the moment — That’s been our mantra the last couple of days. We’re both a bit under the weather and definitely not feeling our best. I can only imagine how difficult it is for Mom when she can’t find the words to pinpoint the problem so we can provide the correct support. Her frustration is visible as she shrugs her shoulders as we try to pinpoint the current feeling of unwellness…
Deep breaths for both of us and patience blooms again as we take one more long, deep breath… exhaling and start new.
Together, we’re resetting back to greatness and not getting stuck in the muck when it would really be so much easier to let the funk continue to take us for a longer ride. Embracing our greatness together brings a release and the ability to begin again.
Here’s to a fresh start — right now. Not in 5 or 10, but in this moment and most importantly, with LOVE.
The thoughts and intentions we have today
will lead us to our tomorrow…
Being flexible at all different levels has ultimately become this week’s intention — going with the flow so to speak.
Yesterday was one of those days we needed to pull out something else from “bag” and shift the energy around a bit. We have learned that listening to music will change her energy and make a difference, so that’s exactly what we did. Within a few minutes she had selected 2 DVDs and was tapping her toes and trying to sing along to most of the songs in the Music Man (an all time favorite and never grows old) and even surprised us with a bit of voice to a song from Annie! There was even a lightness in her step as we took a walk around the house after it finished.
From my perspective, if our intentions are to provide “best care,” then we need to be prepared to be “in tune” and shift our own energies and intentions for more #bestday choices when those in our care aren’t sure how to go about it. Here’s to today! It’ll be a Great one!
Make it a smiley kind of day!!
#nurturedheart #GrowinGreatness #bestday
We have found lots of ways to turn things into smiles as we traverse this journey. It’s not always easy, but the results are definitely worth while. Last night, a case in point after a pretty rough start earlier in the day…
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to care for our youngest grandchild last night for a few hours. His face lights up when he sees us and especially when he connects with Grandma Great! Those brief moments of touch and more.
He’s too big and squirmy for her to hold for long now, but he reached out and held on to a finger for a few seconds and the joy in her face and voice were well worth it. She avidly watched as he rolled on the floor chasing his toys from one side of the room to the other. She was delighted even more when he rolled to her feet and tickled her toes through her slippers.
I’ve no doubt that memories from long ago as we were all growing up were brought back to mind. Her smiles lasted the rest of the night and even as she laid her head on her pillow for one last hug for the day and a kiss….
Greatitudes 