When Faculties Fail.

 When Faculties Fail.

 

Today a friend told me about the problems that came up when her parents had begun to slip into dementia and the same problems that are coming up now with some friends who have their father living with them. While she was not able to be there for her sister when her own parents became confused, she was able to make suggestions for her friends about their father. Protecting one’s parents, one’s own home, and others are all included in the considerations that have to be made once the inevitable problems begin to spring up. A grown person normally wants to keep his or her independence. That is not always advisable if driving a vehicle can threaten the safety of the driver or those nearby. The same holds true if the person’s dementia or forgetfulness can cause fires with microwaves, stoves, or ovens. With my parents, we had to hide all the keys and all the firearms in the house. But by that time, our mom had lost her understanding of the necessity for medications, oxygen supplies, and even rudimentary schedules of day and night. As difficult as it was, as their children, we had to make decisions for them.

 

Some day my own children may have decisions to make that have nothing to do with my desire to be independent. They will have to decide what is best for their own families as well as for their mom. Let’s hope that before that time comes, the legal work will have been done so that they can deal with whatever comes up that will need their signatures. Let us hope that the twenty or more years that separate our ages will give them time to make good decisions.

 

Do you ever wonder if you could make a decision that God would not want you to make when you lose some semblance of sanity? Mankind has certainly had a bad habit of making bad decisions over the years. But individually, we can only hope that we won’t be grouches, mean, horrible, or otherwise disgusting toward others. Someone once told me that how we present ourselves most of our lives will likely be the way we will continue to the very end. But truly, we can only hope that we will be kind and caring toward others. It is hard enough with all one’s beans in the pot not to be judgmental or just plain tacky. But let a few marbles or beans get lost in the normal skids of life, and just about anyone can get off center from kindness. For ourselves and for others, let us pray that the wrinkles of life and living don’t cause others to be revolted by our personalities.

 

Let us keep our thoughts upon God’s kindnesses. Let us determine to follow Him through the valleys to His high hills.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.