Seven months
have soared by since my God opened His arms to my little Shelley. I have
moments when it seems like she left yesterday, and other times, it
seems long ago.
I sang “You
Are My Sunshine” to her every time I visited her in the Memory Care. The happy
ditty became our theme song. She smiled as I sang it. Until she couldn’t smile
any longer.
I found this
plaque on Amazon, and it made me smile and cry at the same time. Weird how that
happens, right?
Shelley was
this: Sunshine mixed with hurricane.
I asked my
husband what he liked most about Shelley. After thinking about it, he said, “Her
compassion and willingness to help in any situation.” I said, “Me too. What was your least favorite attribute about
her personality?”
After a few
minutes, he replied, “Her determination to do her own thing.”
Again, I
said, “Me too.”
Shelley
lived in the moment and seldom thought about consequences. As a teenager, this
caused her dad and me to have sleepless nights. As an adult, she often
continued her haphazard decisions.
Did people
think less of her for her hurricane personality? Not at all. We accepted the sunshine
and the storms of her nature.
Everyone
adored her. At her funeral, one of her coworkers said, “I loved her even when she
made me mad. She called me at 5:00 one
morning and asked me to call her in an hour to make sure she woke up in time
for work.”
Most of us
have moments that make others wonder about us. Shelley was blessed because
people accepted her as she was.
Come to
think of it, God gives us all that same grace. He accepts us as we are. My
little Sunshine is up there now, shining and singing for Him.
Helpful Hints for Caregivers
1. Talk to people about your loved one.
2. Ask questions. What was your favorite thing about your loved one's personality? Least favorite?
3. Cry when you feel like it.
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