Unexpected Caretaker

Ten years ago I found myself caring for my  mother, who, soon after arriving to live with me, was diagnosed with dementia. There is no way I could have anticipated all the sacrifices and adjustments I would have to make. Not only because of the myriad of medical problems that came with her but now I was also face to face with all my buried issues from a difficult childhood. I could no longer pretend they didn't bother me. My freedom to come and go as I pleased was limited. My bucket list of things to do when I retired was now only a vague possibility. Yes, I learned a lot about being  a caretaker but more importantly I learned how to find peace. "Not peace of the world which relies on circumstances or people changing and leaving us at peace, but the kind  of peace that allows you to sleep through storms or be calm when it feels like the world is out of control around you and trying to kill you. And you don't know if you'll ever make it to shore." [Journey Through Dementia, page 51]