Guest post by Angie Clayton

In June, my parents took my grandson Lincoln (11) to Branson. This is a second-generation tradition that started when my kids were young, and now only Lincoln remains.

What we also have now is Alzheimer’s. Dad’s unpredictable, and I was concerned about Mom keeping track of both him and Lincoln. So I inserted myself and went along, determined to let it be their trip. We stopped, ate, and rested where they always do. There really is comfort in sameness and predictability, especially now for Dad.

When we arrived, Dad had a nap in the condo we shared, and I went to my room to rest—in full view of the front door. Mom and Lincoln went for groceries. Some time later, I got up for a minute, and when I started to lie back down, something just felt “off.” So I looked … and looked and looked for my dad. Not in the bedroom, not in the bathroom. But as I walked by the front door, I caught the flash of a light blue shirt and raced outside. There he was, wandering around in the parking lot, with no hearing aids and no glasses.

He forgot I was there and couldn’t find Mom.

When I told her what happened, she said with alarm, “Oh! He’s never done that before.”

But now he has. And it adds a whole new dimension to this rotten disease, which makes me so very sad.

He lives his life very simply now. (I could take a lesson from him.) But that means I must keep things as comfortable and simple for him as I can, and I must pray. This is hard, my caregiving friends, and it’s good to have others who understand. Caregiving is too much to do alone.

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Psalms ‭91‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Angie Clayton is an author, editor and speaker who ministers to the hurting. Married for 36 years, her two kids and four grandkids are her supreme delight.  She can be reached through her website.

Tracy Crump dispenses hope in her award-winning book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness (CrossLink Publishing: 2021). A former intensive care nurse, she cared for her parents and her mother-in-law and understands both the burdens and joys of caregiving. Her devotions have been featured in Guideposts books, The Upper Room, and many other publications, and she has contributed 26 stories to Chicken Soup for the Soul® books. She also conducts writing workshops, produces a newsletter for writers, and does freelance editing. But her most important job is Grandma to five completely unspoiled grandchildren.