Daily Readings
Loss
Death and taxes. Both inescapable. And there’s a third. Loss. Inevitable in everyone’s life, in small portions and huge. Learning to live in the cauldron of loss is perhaps the ongoing challenge of our lives. And you, my friend, are experiencing loss both in tiny waves and tsunami proportions. Your person’s memory and cognition in general are unwrapping quietly and loudly. You’ve lost one or two parents by now. Some pets. The fine features of your youth. and sadly, some friends. And now, you’re earning an advanced degree in the loss of a loved one’s cognitive function. On any given day, it really is all too much.
Driving
One of the highest of high hurdles you’ll encounter is the subject of driving. It’s actually higher than that. Think pole vaulting. Depending on your person, their level of obstinance, need for autonomy, and their driving skill, this matter might have you over a barrel or perhaps under a bridge. If your person has been a prideful driver this will be tough. There comes a time when the GPS is of no help and they’re calling you for guidance. And finding the car in any given parking lot is impossible. Of course, you have them on your own ‘find my geezer’ app, thank God. You’ll know when it’s time to put the car keys in the urn with your last pet’s ashes. Beats having two urns on the mantel.
Fate
Given your present situation, you may sometimes feel that you’re the brunt of an unfunny joke or a cruel trick of fate. It’s as though the God’s are either tricking you or testing you. Maybe both. Here you are, minding your own business and boom! Suddenly, you’re racing after your beloved as they sail backward, and you’re trying to catch up with them as they recede. The faster you run, the farther back they sail. There’s no catching up with what was. That part certainly feels cruel. Yet they are still your person and that is ceaselessly valid. How you react, respond, and manage for both of you, is not so much a test, as it is another aspect of life on earth. You drew a short straw. It’s how much meaning and energy you can muster in lieu of its length that matters.