Living

I was talking with a fellow quad friend on Facebook a few days ago and the topic of living situations came up. That brought up memories of everything that was going on last year at this time.

Looking at nursing homes and not knowing from one month to the next where I would be living was a very challenging time. I'm glad that we are past it, but it's not the case for others in my situation.

The man I was talking with last week has lost his father, has few nursing hours, and his mother is his primary caregiver. Another gets nursing hours during the day, when he sleeps, and is up at night while relatives sleep nearby and he wakes them as needed. Still another friend has been forced to live in a nursing home for the past 14 years and is only in his early 40's.

Part of the funding for my caregivers is through the state and requires a lot of paperwork. My mom does pretty much all of it and spends about 20 hours per week on it alone. She was wanting to get out and take flower pictures the last few days, but end of month paperwork and other needs have kept her from being able to go.

The blessings I'm surrounded by are sometimes easy to forget, which is why I try to stop and think sometimes. I am in no way better or more deserving than anyone else and I wish others were able to have more ability to be active and live normal schedules.

In these past three decades I've been given more blessings than I can count. I would love to be able to help others more, but don't know the best way that can happen. Political channels are possible avenues, but the most recent changes have mainly had negative consequences and positive ones are few and far between.

This quad life I've been given isn't easy, but I have more than I can ask for. In your life, be sure to stop and count your blessings and thank those around you that help to make them happen. Ultimately, thank the giver of life and what He has done for you until next week and every week.