a quilt story from one of my favorite non-quilty bloggers
 

I thought you all might appreciate reading this blogger's story of a quilt passed down through her family: http://smallnotebook.org/2013/08/14/...re-the-quilts/

Her blog is full of great, simple little tips for keeping your life in some sort of order, and more importantly, keeping your priorities straight. The story is definitely sad but I know most of us can relate to the difficulties she is facing, and I am hoping that in the future the quilt does bring her a measure of comfort!

That story was so sad, but it was uplifting that her mom remembered that her mother made the quilts. How lucky she was to be able to take one home....she'll treasure it forever....

I expect to be in this situation with my mother soon and only hope i can cope with it. As a matter of fact I can see that I will be the mother. Hopefully the quilt will help the daughter remember the good times.

In December of 2011, we lost my dear mother-in-law Christine to this terrible disease. By the time she died, she was not a smidgen of the wonderful woman I knew and loved for many years.
We put our life on hold for 12 years to care for her in Texas and although it was difficult, it was worth it. She died well cared for and loved. Rest in peace beloved friend.
We also have a quilt that she made for us when we got married. We called it the "I want no grand kids quilt " because it was made of polyester and had cotton batting and was so heavy you could strain a muscle just breathing under it. We still laugh about its weight after 33 years. It's taken lots of washings to get it to lighten up and it still weighs lots.
Dementia gives new meaning to the phrase a "long winding road" because the road gets stonier, lonelier and windier, as you go. Blessed be all who travel this road. Caregiver and patient alike.
The life lesson that I personally learned was that I am married to a remarkable man and after watching him care for his mother I love him even more than before. Should this happen to him, I will strive to be the best, most loving caregiver I can be because he is worth it.

Yes, if a man is good to his mother he will be good to his wife.......

Oh, I can so relate to this most horrible of all diseases.. We lost my mother in 1990, after a 2 yr. battle to cancer, after their 50 years together my Dad was lost. He remarried, but was never quite the same, second wife passed away in 2000, and Daddy was in the early stages of Alzheimers. I was still teaching full time, and my brother was also still working full time self employed. Daddy had his 2nd knee replacement and could not stay alone, so he started out with DH and me, after his rehab., went for a short visit with my brother-recently divorced, and raising a 14 yrs. old daughter. When I went to get Daddy to bring him back with us, we knew he could not stay alone. DB informed me that Daddy was going to stay with him from now on, he could take care of him better than I could with my work situation, as he could check on him more often through the day. For the last 4 years of his life, Daddy lived with DB ( who will have stars in his crown) who took the best of care of Daddy, better than a full time nurse even-also the son's love was so evident there. DB had promised Daddy he would not be put into a nursing home. I would get over 200 miles away on holiday times, summer and school breaks to help and to give DB a short vacation. Daddy could only refer to DB as "the boy who takes care of me"- he could not call me by name but could connect me with DH and call him by name and connect us with our home town by name. He could remember all 5 grandchildren and knew them by name most of the time. We watched a very loving, strong, healthy, always active 6'3'' 220 lb outdoors man become bed ridden and shrivel up to nothing except his height so quickly with memory loss and lost stares dependent totally on his loving care giver who had become the parent. Daddy passed away in the early morning of 3-28-2004. I was at DB's home the weekend we lost Daddy. We were a very close family, and now we had lost both parents. DB and I are even closer than ever now, still live in the same places, but talk daily on the phone sometimes 2-3 times. Iraxy is so right this is a long winding very rocky road , and the best of loving care one can give during this horrible illness is so helpful and even thought it is most difficult, the family caregiver will not regret being able to give this care. But DB and I both know that "God did not give either of us more than He knew we could handle" and God was with us during these trying years and the loss of our parents, as He is still. Sorry folks about this long story, but sometimes I just have to release it again and get it off my chest.