Sheri has a very regular routine that has worked well for coaching Bob through the morning shower routine. This is a detailed process that requires her to invade Bob's privacy in the same uncomfortable way that "Al" is invading their lives. First she is in the tiny bathroom with him saying "let me help you remove your shirt, pants, back brace" and so forth, then she starts the water adjusts the temperatures steps back outside the door and tells him to remove his socks and ( you get where I am going) Sheri tells him to step inside the shower as she is peeks through the door to see him get it, "Al" has become a very private person and Sheri tries to respect that as much as she can. She was at this step over the weekend that while she was groggy and grouchy from her wisdom tooth extraction that she missed a step or two of direction and she was not sure where she or "Al" was in the process said " are you in the shower?" Bob replied "I'm in." But Bob's voice was awfully close to the door of this tiny houses even tinier bathroom, so Sheri open the bathroom door to find "Al" standing on the bathroom floor with a wadded up piece of toilet paper in his hand as a wash cloth washing his chest. Sheri was frustrated for a moment and then the realization of just how dependent "Al" is on her, and how her tall, strong Bob is now a mere shadow of himself overtook her, and in her pain and weakness... she wept.
Psalm34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
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So hard to watch the one you love deteriorate before your eyes. It hurts like nothing else, but in the end after everything is finished what remains is an example of the purest deepest love, compassion and tenderness
ReplyDeleteiPod froze.
ReplyDeleteI watched my father deteriorate for 19 years. I cried so many times filled with grief at the taking away of each part of my dad. I prayed for healing and I prayed for compassion, love and kindness to grow in the midst of his disease. He never was healed but the road I never wanted to go down taught me the meaning of love, compassion and being there. So hard, so many people abandon you, but by the grace of God love is powerful and a gift of a rare few like you.
May God bless you with wisdom words and his presence as some moments it is so hard to have the strength to love.
Thank you so much for your support, so sorry your Dad struggled with this monster also.
DeleteSheri