It seems a little stupid, Abba, to include things You already know in this post as prayer. I ask You to indulge me because You may know my thoughts and motivations, but sometimes, I don't.
I am returning from a long weekend in Michigan with Debbie and, to a lesser extent but not a lesser significance, Bobby. I was reflecting on the significance of Bob's reply text to me yesterday: "Thank you for the respite and help." My reflection involved the difficulty of communicating how that word hit me without sounding both, or either, picayune or arrogant. The respite aspect felt quite accurate, though. Being with her was hard, both physically and emotionally. She cannot rest; the psychomotor agitation is pronounced and exhausting for her and for those caring for her.
I appreciated Joe's company and his interventions with her a lot. He is a good and decent man--some might be surprised by that characterization! One of the most surprising things for me was his desire to attend Catholic Mass at the Notre Dame Basilica, formally known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. A second surprise was the presence of some Bible verse decorations at his AirBnB. I could be wrong, but I see a ramping up of Your work in his life, Abba!
Here I capture some of my thoughts about Debbie and her situation:
- She is so bruised from her falls. It seems nearly impossible to keep her from falling without physically restricting or restraining her. Even with constant accompaniment, she is unstable with her ambulation, and now I see something (You brought me to it)--->
- "Dementia posturing" or an interaction between dorsal kyphosis and dementia. Oh, Father God, Please relieve Deb's suffering!
- Mom is suffering almost as much as, perhaps more than, Debbie. I don't even know what to ask on Mom's behalf, Father. You of all people know too painfully well what it is like to see Your child suffering and not doing anything about it--whether by inability or by choice, it is heartbreaking either way. Oh, God, bring Your peace!
