humour – Accepting the Gift of Caregiving

I don’t know about you, but all of me is exhausted!

I have become someone that I no longer recognize, struggling to keep positive thoughts in my life, facing strong challenges to shut out the negativity that has surfaced on every corner, negativity that seems to dominate every topic. What happened? To me? To the world?

The edges of my mouth turn down. They have no energy to turn up. The smile lines beside my eyes have gone flat. There is no sparkle reflecting back at me when I look in the mirror…in fact, I hate looking in the mirror in the last couple months. I really should laugh at what I see. I want to laugh, but lately, it seems harder to find a reason for humor!

My student brain is filled to the brim with all the changing news about what science has discovered about ‘the virus.’

I can’t endure another meaningless word from the persons we elected (!!) to be in charge of the government programs…any of them.

My nurturing nature has nurtured about all it can without a fundamental soul refill from somewhere.

Even the sunshine that finally has found its way to our balcony has not been able to encourage the release of the ‘ban on walking in parks’ regulation. Soon, I hope our COVID-19 numbers will go down enough for the ban to be lifted.

Like so many of us, I am sick of hearing about the hate instead of the love, of hearing of killings that should never have happened. I mourn life as I knew it, that is dissolving before my eyes and I can not do one damn thing about it.

And through it all, my caregiving gig and all its daily changes, rise to the top, impacted by each and every other concern. So, yes, caregivers must find laughter! Is this the source of the melancholy I feel?

No matter! I have to get a grip! I crave some funniness, I am reaching for comedy or even some bad jokes!

Does any of this sound familiar?

And then, I ran across the life-saving Facebook page Gramma’s Funnies! (Go find it!!) There I met ‘Old’ and ‘Crabby’, two crazy ladies wearing what they call their ‘new shit’ bought from Amazon during the quarantine. They made me laugh. 💕 THANK YOU LADIES! 💕

Who else needs to laugh? I don’t want to laugh at any of the serious events, the sad and horrific events that have caused riots and the uglier side of humanity to surface. I don’t want to laugh at the plight of those who are in any way feeling the pain from the devastating impact the COVID-19 has had on families and friends around the world. Bless them all and those who care for them.

But I still need to find humor, to laugh. I see funny things and want to laugh but for some reason, I can’t. Is it because I am alone? Is it because we have been isolated in our apartment since March 7 and today is June 2…twelve weeks and three days…eighty-seven days with at least 28 more days in ‘lockdown?’ Am I drained of…maybe…life itself?

Well, ‘Old’ and ‘Crabby’ gave me a ‘shot of life!’ And I wanted to create a laughter post…on Facebook because I can’t do it elsewhere…and wanted everyone who likes to laugh to add to it. So I did. I hope you laughed, too!

I am calling whoever assembles there, Madcap Merrymaker Marvels. Marvels that we made it this far. Merrymakers, because we need to make merry! and Madcap…well maybe we all need to release a bit of crazy about now!

JOIN ME – Do something silly that makes you laugh! 😸

Find laughter. It helps release some of the pent-up, stale energy that tends to surround us if we don’t blow it away…with laughter. A change in mood, a smile, a happy feeling can bring us renewed energy for life.

Please, if not on Facebook, (where it is best to spend time with humor, not that other stuff) find a way to bring laughter into your life. My happiness is up to me and I am going to find a way to laugh! 😊😄😂🤣

Each day do something that makes others smile and your heart sing!

BE PREPARED for the role of caregiver…my stories from my life as a spouse-caregiver are written in real time just like this story. Read the stories I share to become prepared for life in the world of Alzheimer’s!