June 25, 2023
What is Joy?
“Joy isn’t the natural response to blessings. Joy is what comes from acknowledging them.”
Richard Paul Evans
Today I acknowledge and celebrate one of the greatest blessings ever given to my life!
Five years ago, today, Joy in the Journey was published! It was a grand day of celebration in my life as my mother’s dream for my life to become a writer had been fulfilled. The great irony was that it was fulfilled through her story, my story, our story of our walk together through Alzheimer’s Disease! Four years ago, Joy in the Journey was awarded the Illumination Enduring Light Silver Medal award.
Today, I thank Diane Glad for her inspiration and Richard Paul Evans for his endorsement of Joy in the Journey. I thank Karen Kline Christoffersen of BookWise Publishing for her belief in me as an author, for her belief in the message of healing and hope found within Joy in the Journey, and for her tireless and continuing support through these years! Through Karen, I learned that “dreams really can come true.”
When writing Joy in the Journey, I had one wish. That wish was and forever will be that the message of healing and hope given through this story of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease would be given “wings” to reach the hearts of people who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and those who walked their journey with them . . . that those who walked with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease would be given a better understanding of the disease and how to cope with all the symptoms of the disease in better ways . . . and who would learn to see beyond the losses experienced through Alzheimer’s Disease and receive the gifts their journey brought to their lives . . . and ultimately find their JOY IN THEIR JOURNEY!
In the short five years since the publication of Joy in the Journey, countless lives have been changed through its message! I have received so many notes, emails, messages, and phone calls along with personal conversations with people that affirm the receipt of the message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey! I am forever grateful for my readers and supporters through these five years! Your amazing efforts have made a huge difference in so many lives!
TODAY I ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE BLESSING OF MY WALK WITH GRIT AND GRACE THROUGH ALZHEIMER’S WITH MY MOTHER! THE BLESSING OF THAT WALK FULFILLED MY MOTHER’S DREAM AND, ULTIMATELY, MY DREAM TO BECOME A WRITER, and HAS GIVEN ME A WONDROUS GIFT OF JOY WITHIN MY LIFE THAT WILL FOREVER TRANSCEND TIME AND SPACE!
Read about this remarkable mother/daughter journey made hand in hand, heart to heart through Alzheimer’s Disease! Copies are available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and Books&Moore in Calabash NC. Copies of the audiobook are available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes/ Apple Books.
September 20, 2022
Take a Chance and Live Your Dream
I woke up with my heart dancing in celebration on this beautiful day in my life! It is a day that has been celebrated and will be celebrated forever as I embrace the blessing of knowing that dreams really do come true in my life!!
I will always celebrate September 20th in my life!! It is a date that changed my life forever!!
Today, I embrace the Journey . . . MY JOURNEY full of twists and turns that began 22 years ago . . . MY JOURNEY to fulfill my dream of telling the story of my walk with Mother through Alzheimer’s . . . in the hope that one day that story could be a blessing in the lives of those who find themselves walking that same Journey with a loved one.
So it is that fIve years ago today my life was blessed beyond measure as I arrived at a magical place along that Journey . . . a magical place that I had trusted God to take my hand and lead me to. A magical place that would continue to lead me forward in fulfilling my dream!!!
Yes, FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, Karen Kline Christoffersen flew to Charlotte to accept me as one of her authors!! For the next nine months Karen guided me and inspired me as we journeyed together toward publication of Joy In the Journey. Most of all she believed in me!! On June 25th, 2018 my dream, my mother’s dream . . . our dream of my becoming a writer was fulfilled as Joy In the Journey was published!!
Today I thank God for His extraordinary gift given to my life! I thank God for all of you who have supported this Journey in such meaningful ways!! Today, I thank my readers who have affirmed the message of healing and hope given through Joy In the Journey in their lives!! TODAY, MY HEART SMILES!!
Joy In the Journey is available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, N.C. and Books&Moore in Calabash, N.C. Audiobooks are available on Audible, Amazon, and iBooks/iTunes.
September 5, 2022
Tell Your Story
When my mother first began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, I searched for books that would give me a better understanding of the disease and how to cope with the effects of it that seemed to change on a daily basis. I needed to know how to navigate Alzheimer’s with my mother and give her dignity through it all. The only books I found were full of medical analyses and research statistics. But, they gave me no blueprint on how to walk day to day with my mother and meet her needs!
Our walk together through Alzheimer’s was a long one. It demanded a grit and grace like none other in my life! I kept a journal daily as we stumbled and fell and as we picked ourselves back up and kept walking. When our walk through Alzheimer’s Disease ended, I knew I had to tell my mother’s story, my story, our story to help those who would walk that same road with a loved one in their life. I knew that our story was needed to be a survival guide for others!
After the publication of our story, Joy In the Journey: Walking with Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s was published became an Award Winning book that blessed countless lives with healing and hope.
I share with you today several reviews of Joy In the Journey:
Nancy’s heart has taken up pen to journal vividly life with her mom, who had developed Alzheimer’s Disease. Although we’ve never met, I found myself walking beside Nancy through all types of storms. At times, I felt as if I would be overwhelmed by their magnitude, knocking me down and forcing me to lose my breath.
This disease was robbing her mom of life; robbing Nancy, family, and friends of someone they loved dearly. The daily reality was just not graspable, especially understanding that there was no retreating, nowhere to hide, no comfy blanket to wrap around you, and no place to catch your breath.
Even through the loved poured into the words for her mom, the personal devastation pounds against your heart. As you read Nancy’s painful narrative, you begin to understand a bit more clearly things about Alzheimer’s that you would rather not ever have to face. If you are there, you know.
Nancy Howie’s transparent account of this sojourn flows deeply into your heart and finds a home there.
Nancy Howie emits emotion with words as she paints a vivid picture of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. An excellent book for caregivers, medical personnel, pastors, church groups, or individuals who feel alone and forgotten in the care of others. Nancy walks you through hurt, fear, despair and anger to a place of hope and joy amidst the storm.
This book was a life line for me. Trying to come to grips with the reality of the progressive nature of Alzheimer’s gave this caregiver a feeling that I walk alone. I now know many have been down this path. I learned that it is okay to be angry at the disorder, but not the one you love. The greatest gift I took from this book was that along with love and care, what an Alzheimer’s patient also needs is dignity and RESPECT. I commend this author for giving a real picture of this devastating disease while enabling us to see the gifts it gave to her life that brought joy to her journey!
Today, Joy In the Journey continues to “have wings” to find its way into the hearts and souls that need its message of healing and hope. If you are walking a journey through Alzheimer’s Disease with a loved, one read the story of a mother and daughter’s love that took them through a horrible disease . . . and, yet, enabled them to find joy in their journey.
Copies of Joy In the Journey can be found on Amazon. Autographed copies can be found at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and Books&Moore in Calabash NC. The Audiobook can be found on Audible, iBooks and I Tunes.
March 6, 2022
Where is God?
Here’s a story that answers the question, “Where is God” as you walk with your loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease.
The journey through Alzheimer’s Disease with a loved one often brings moments when we question, “Where is God” in the midst of the horrors this disease can bring to our lives. In Joy in the Journey, the story of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s, you will read about some of these moments I encountered on our journey together.
I am sharing a beautiful story sent to me through Reverend Jack Pennington (a former Pastor of mine) through a good friend of his, Reverend Michael Lester, Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Jonesborough, Tennessee. It is a story of a daughter’s walk with her mother who has Alzheimer’s Disease . . . a story that gives our hearts the answer to the question, “Where is God?” in those moments, in the midst, when we cannot see Him. I express my gratitude to Reverend Lester for this powerful story that gives to our lives the reassurance that even when we cannot see God, He is there, and we do not have to be afraid!
“My sweet mama lives next door. Due to advanced Alzheimer’s, Mama’s journey this year from independent living to Memory Care was sudden and traumatic. The isolation resulting from the pandemic didn’t help.
Window visits where we stood outside and tried to communicate through the closed window only caused her increased confusion and agitation. Frantically, she tried to get out or continue to motion us to come inside. So, I told her that I was right next door, and we could talk on the phone.
From her window in the Memory Care facility, Mama could see up the hill, through the pine trees, to view the back of my house. Mama had forgotten most things, but she always remembered that I lived beside her. In the evenings she could see the warm glow of my kitchen light.
I call Mama each afternoon around the same time. During this brief phone chat, I reintroduce myself, ask about her, and tell her how I’m doing. It’s the same conversation every day. My call brings her joy and comfort. Mama always tells me she is able to see the light in my kitchen and know I’m there.
Mama had to be moved this week to a different room. Her private room with the view of my house was only where she was parked until a shared room within her budget was available. The move, as with any change, was unsettling.
Her new room is wonderful. She has a private bedroom and shares a bath and sitting room with her neighbor. The only problem is that the view out the window is different. Mama can no longer see my house. She stares out her window at night and longs to see my kitchen light. She wonders where I am.
Each day, I call and remind Mama that I’m beside her. The light is still on, although she can’t see it. I tell her that I’m watching over her. Don’t be afraid, Mama, I’m here.
Isn’t that the same message that God speaks to us?”
Michael Lester
Through Joy in the Journey many lives have been given that same message! Reading Joy in the Journey may just touch your life and your loved one’s life as you walk together through Alzheimer’s Disease. It may give you the comfort you need to feel . . . that, even though you cannot see God through the devastation, you can know that He is still there watching over you and your loved one . . . and that His light still shines and speaks to you!
Copies of Joy in the Journey can be found on Amazon, Audible, Apple Books and iTunes. Autographed copies can be found at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and at Books&Moore in Calabash NC.
January 23, 2022
Affirmation of a Blessing
There are days when you receive a note from a Reader that lets you know and feel the true impact of your story on another persons life! It is within those days that your heart smiles with gratitude for the Blessing!
Sharing a note received from a Reader:
“I feel I have to write to you today! Why . . . because you have written my story of my walk with my own mother through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . to a point. My story began six years ago. Your story”mirrors”’mine perfectly! All the behaviors that your mother experienced, mine has too. All the moments you wished you understood what was happening, I have had too. All the decisions to be made for your mother, I have had to make for my mother too. All the times you misunderstood her actions because you did not understand the disease, I have had too with my mother.
I recently had to place my mother in a care facility. The experiences there with my mother have been just like the things you went through! All the moments you lived feeling like your mother had moments of reality and knew what was happening to her, I have experienced too. There are times I look deep into her eyes and know that somewhere in her mind, she is still there . . . looking out from inside her insanity. You had these too. I have questioned my own sanity just as you did. I have come to points that I have not known where to turn or what to do, just as you did!
One day a few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me about your book, Joy in the Journey Walking With Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s. I read about it on Amazon and ordered a copy. BEST THING I EVER DID FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY MOTHER!
I could never thank you enough for telling your story! You have given me a gift that will help me continue to walk with my mother through this disease with love . . . a love that will enable me to give her the dignity she deserves . . . just as you did for your mother. It is a love that will allow me to never let her go. It is a love that will allow me to always know she really is still with me. And, that I will always be with her, and find joy in all of our moments together!
Your book should be on a bestseller list and be recommended by the Alzheimer’s Association to everyone who finds themselves walking their own road with their loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease. Through your story, I have learned that I am not alone. I have learned to better understand Alzheimer’s and know how to live it with my mother in her world!
THANK YOU, NANCY HOWIE, FOR THE LIFELINE YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ME AND TO MY MOTHER through your book, Joy in the Journey!”
Ashley
Copies of Joy in the Journey are on Amazon. Autographed copies can be purchased at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and at Books&Moore in Calabash, NC. Copies of the AudioBook are available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books and iTunes.
November 2o, 2021
May the Light of Love Surround You
Today I give thoughts to the Lovelight Celebration at Freedom Park that is celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year. It was the most special night in my life for 18 years. It was a night to gather with family and friends . . . to walk. . . to talk. . . to pause and remember. . . and to celebrate the goodness of God. . . the grace of God. . . the peace of God . . . and the love of God that we share from our hearts . . . one to another throughout the year.
The Lovelight Celebration began in loving memory of Mary Ann Howie who fought a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. The impact of walking with Mother through her long journey home changed my life forever. I have come to call our Journey the “greatest gift ever given to my life”!
Mary Ann’s life was all about giving. . . Mary Ann’s life was all about sharing. . . Mary Ann’s life was all about blessings. . . Mary Ann’s life was all about love! Those gifts are her legacy to each of us as we have continued to be those gifts to each other through the years.
The Lovelight luminaries that were placed around the lake at Freedom Park were lit brightly to remember the lives of all those who have “gone before us” and to honor all of those who continue to leave footprints on our hearts each day. We walked in the celebration of the “dance of life”. . . and we walked in gratitude to our Awesome God for His countless gifts of love given to each of our lives through each other. We walked to affirm the greatness and gentleness of our Awesome God. We walked to affirm His “peace that passeth all understanding”.” And, we walked affirming to each other that our “God of the good old days remains our God of our good new days”.”
The Lovelight Celebration this year will be celebrated in the sacred places of my heart. There I will remember all the cool November nights we walked together. . . I will remember the magnificent gift of peace this night brought to my life! This cool November night celebrated within my heart is dedicated to all the Kindred Spirits who have walked and continue to walk with me on life’s journey. Through each of these beautiful souls I have been able to see the “hand of God” and to hear the “voice of God” in my life.
Today I give thanks to our magnificent God for each of these beautiful souls that He has given to my life. Through their light of love given to my life, the joy of living has been magnified! Wherever you may be on this cool November night, may you pause and remember. . . may there be a shining light that dwells in your heart that brings joy and peace to each path of your Journey. May this cool November night be held as tenderly in your heart as it is in mine!
October 24, 2021
A Sunday Morning Awakening
The holy happens all around us when we open ourselves to the experience of sacramental moments! Yesterday was a day to experience sacramental moments in life . . . a day to fully know that wherever we are, we are standing on holy ground . . . a day to join hands and hearts as our Team Joy in the Journey participated in the Alzheimer’s Walk, walking to honor the memory of those who lost their fight with Alzheimer’s . . . to honor those lives that are affected by Alzheimer’s and their Caregivers . . . and, to remember for those who can no longer remember. It was a day to give thanks for those who are kindred spirits in my life . . . who fill my life with their strength, their courage, their encouragement, their joy of living, and with their unconditional love always! This morning, I pause in tender moments of peace . . . savoring the goodness of the last three years when Team Joy in the Journey stood on Holy Ground together . . . joined together heart to heart in celebration and remembrance . . . singing quietly in my mind, ”We are standing on Holy Ground, and I know there are angels all around.” Gratitude to God on this beautiful Sunday morning for kindred spirits and angels that surround my life . . . who will always be with me . . . who will always walk with me on Holy Ground and bring sacramental moments to my life . . . who will always bring joy to my journey!
September 20, 2021
Celebration!
I will always celebrate September 20th in my life! It is a date that changed my life forever!!
So it is that four years ago today, my life was blessed beyond measure as I arrived at a magical place along that Journey. A magical place that I had trusted God to take my hand and lead me to . . . a magical place that would continue to lead me forward in fulfilling my dream! Yes, fours years ago today, Karen Kline Christoffersen flew to Charlotte to accept me as one of her authors! For the next nine months, Karen guided me and inspired me as we journeyed together toward publication of Joy in the Journey. Most of all, she believed in me! On June 25th, 2018 my dream, my mother’s dream . . . our dream of my becoming an author was fulfilled as Joy in the Journey was published!
Today, I thank God for His extraordinary gift given to my life! I thank God for all of you who have supported this Journey in such meaningful ways! Today, I thank my readers who have affirmed the message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey in their lives! Today, my heart smiles!
Today, I embrace the journey . . . my journey, full of twists and turns that began 22 years ago . . . my journey to fulfill my dream of telling the story of my walk with Mother through Alzheimer’s in the hope that one day that story could be a blessing in the lives of those who would find themselves walking that same Journey with a loved one.
Joy in the Journey is available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. Audiobooks and eBooks are available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
It’s Brutal . . .
In talking with Caregivers, I often hear that unless you have cared for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease, you really have no idea how brutal the disease is . . . for those you love and for yourself! That, my friends is the truth! You can be a family member or a best friend to a Caregiver . . . you can listen to their stories . . . you can hold their hands and show compassion to them . . . but, you cannot really know what they are going through on a moment to moment, day to day, month to month . . . year to year basis in their efforts to give their loved one dignity and peace as they live through Alzheimer’s Disease with them!
I know this to be oh so true! As I walked with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease, many viewed our walk through their eyes from afar . . . but never participated in my mother’s care on a daily basis. I knew that when my walk was over I needed to tell our story . . . our minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, month to month journey through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . that I needed to give those who would become Caregivers and those who would walk with someone who would be a Caregiver an honest and true picture of all the unknowns they would face.
My mother’s story, my story, our story through Alzheimer’s Disease is told in Joy in the Journey It is an account of the devastation experienced walking that journey . . . but it is also a story of receiving the blessings that can come into your life that will allow you to find joy in your journey.
If you are a Caregiver . . . if you are a friend to a Caregiver . . . if you are a family member . . . if you truly want to understand the journey of walking with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease, read Joy in the Journey. Let it be an inspiration and a guide for your journey.
August 24, 2021
Every 66 Seconds . . .
Love . . .
Every 66 seconds a new person in the United States develops Alzheimer’s Disease. Look at your watch while you slowly read that again! That, my friends, is a staggering statement! Once a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease there is “no way out!” It sneaks up on our loved ones. It progresses sometimes slowly . . . and sometimes with the force of a hurricane. It is a disease of loss for those who are diagnosed with it and for those who will care for them. And there is no cure! The only way out is to live through it! But, how?
Joy in the Journey was written as an inspirational guide for those who would walk in and through the world of Alzheimer’s Disease with a loved one. It was written from the heart of Nancy Howie who walked with her mother moment to moment, day to day, month to month, year to year through Alzheimer’s. Nancy kept a journal throughout their journey. From that journal, Nancy was able to write the book she wished she could have found for her journey with her mother. She was determined to give those who would walk that same journey with a loved one inspiration . . . to give them a guide to take them through their journey . . . a guide that would give them the courage and strength they would need along their journey . . . and the ability to see and feel the blessings that would be given to their lives through their journey that would ultimately enable them to find the joy in their own journey.
If you are walking with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease, give the blessing of Joy in the Journey to yourself . . . or to a friend who may be walking that same journey.
A Review from a Reader:
“I just finished reading your book, Joy in the Journey. Thank you for sharing your story and for validating many of the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and family dysfunction that I also experienced on my own journey with my dad. In the end, love does win, and God can bring joy through the tears. If there is anyone who reads this who is caring for a loved one or knows someone in the midst of this journey, please read and share Nancy’s book. God truly used her words to help bring healing and forgiveness, and I’m grateful to have read her story. Thanks, Nancy Howie!”
Copies of Joy in the Journey are available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and at Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. The audiobook and eBooks are available through Audible and Apple’s iBooks/iTunes.
July 22, 2021
Planning is Critical . . . Start Now!
I am sharing my Nancy Howie Facebook Author post from today with you. I cannot stress enough the importance of planning . . . for yourself . . . your siblings . . . your parents before an illness such as Alzheimer’s Disease . . . or any other memory loss disease should become an unwanted path along your journey! Take time to plan your peaceful path now!
Share this with your family and friends! Joy in the Journey Walking with Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s is a moment to moment, day to day, month to month, year to year account of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s. Its message of healing and hope has been a blessing in the lives of so many Caregivers who are walking this same road with a loved one! It has allowed me the opportunity to touch the lives of so many people at all stages of their walk through Alzheimer’s Disease.
One of the most important discoveries I have made is that rarely is anyone prepared for Alzheimer’s Disease to enter their life or the life of a loved one! No one realizes the preparation needed in their life should Alzheimer’s Disease become an unwanted part of their journey.
The Addendum written in Joy in the Journey needs to be read by everyone! It is titled “Planning A Peaceful Path Walking the Long Journey Home with a Loved One.” I highlight the issues that need attention before a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease has been made. At some point, as you and your loved one’s age, have a family meeting to develop a “What if Plan.” This plan should include finances, legal documents that need to be in place, medical decisions that you may face, community care arrangements if the time should come when you need care outside of the home, caregiving options in your community, end of life planning, Caregiving, and taking care of yourself.
I highly recommend finding an attorney in your community who specializes in Elder Care who can guide you through the legalities of all aspects of planning through the aging process . . . who has the knowledge that will be invaluable to you creating a peaceful path for yourself and your loved ones. I wrote Joy in the Journey to be an inspiration and a guide in your life. Read the account of my walk with my own mother and let it be a guide for your journey as you walk with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease or any other memory loss disease.
Copies of Joy in the Journey may be purchased on Amazon.com or Apple Books. Autographed copies may be found at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and at Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. The audiobook is found on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books/iTunes.
June 25, 2021
Three Years Ago Today . . .
Three years ago, today, Joy in the Journey was published! It was a grand day of celebration in my life as my mother’s dream for my life to become a writer had been fulfilled. The great irony was that it was fulfilled through her story, my story, the story of our walk together through Alzheimer’s Disease. Two years ago, Joy in the Journey was awarded the Illumination Enduring Light Silver Medal award.
Today, I thank Diane Glad and Richard Paul Evans for their inspiration. I thank Karen Christoffersen of BookWise Publishing for her belief in me as an author, for her belief in the message of healing and hope found within Joy in the Journey, and for her tireless and continuing support through these years! Through Karen, I learned that “dreams really can come true.”
Most of all today, I thank God for placing Diane, Richard, Karen, and countless others on the pathway of this journey He planned for my life! And, I thank God for the strength and courage He gave me daily to continue and try to give my mother the dignity and peace she so richly deserved as we walked with grit and grace through Alzheimer’s Disease. This I know . . . it was a high honor to make this walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease! It was even a higher honor to be able to tell our story through Joy in the Journey!
When writing Joy in the Journey, I had one wish. That wish was and forever will be that the message of healing and hope given through this story of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease would be given “wings” to reach the hearts of people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and those who walk their journey with them . . . that those who walk with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease will be given a better understanding of the disease and how to cope with all the symptoms of it in better ways . . . and who would learn to see beyond the losses experienced through Alzheimer’s Disease and receive the gifts their journey brings to their lives . . . and ultimately find joy in their journey.
In these three short years since the publication of Joy in the Journey, countless lives have been changed through its message. I have received so many notes, emails, messages, and phone calls along with personal conversations with people that affirm the receipt of the message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey. I am forever grateful for my Readers and Supporters through these three years! Your amazing efforts have made a huge difference in so many lives.
Today, I acknowledge and celebrate the blessings of my walk with grit and grace through Alzheimer’s with my mother. The blessings of that walk fulfilled my mother’s dream and, ultimately, my dream to become a writer . . . and has given me a wondrous gift of joy within my life that will forever transcend time and space!
Read about this remarkable mother/daughter journey made hand in hand . . . heart to heart, through Alzheimer’s Disease. Copies are available at Amazon.com, Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. Copies of the audiobook are available on Audible, Amazon.com, iTunes, and Apple Books.
June 11, 2021
Celebrating the Life of my Mother
Twenty-five years ago today, I sit beside our mother, holding her hands as she completes her long journey home. She is peaceful. She awakens at times throughout the day. She looks into my eyes and with her sweet gentle smile says, “I love you, Nancy.” At times, tears fall softly down my cheeks. They are tears of joy for mother’s peace, but they are also tears for the emptiness I already feel. I cling to her beautiful hands . . . the hands that have comforted me and so many others throughout her life. In my heart, I know that it is Mother’s gentleness, the touch of her hands, and her smile that I will always remember and hold in a sacred place in my heart forever!
As I experience these last sacred moments in time, I relive all the wondrous moments of our lives together . . . through childhood . . . through the growing years . . . through all the years that led us to this day. I relive our journey through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . the horror, the pain, and agony of the losses along the way, the battles I had to fight to give her the dignity and peace she deserved, the aloneness I felt walking with her on this journey with grit and grace, the small moments of joy that would burst forth at times giving me the strength I needed to complete this journey with her. I even think that, perhaps, I should write a book . . . a book that would tell her story, my story, our story of Mother’s life . . . a book that would be a lifeline to those who would find themselves walking with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . a book that would fulfill my mother’s wish for my life to become an author. Through all these thoughts, I simply hold my mother’s hands on this day, thanking God for His gift of her in my life!
At 7:15 p.m., with Dick and me by her side, Mother took her last breath . . . completing her long journey home. She has now been given the eternal gift of peace.
Twenty-five years later . . . on June 11, 2021, I again celebrate the life of my mother who lived life abundantly, surrounded by love, and who gave her love to me until her last breath. Mother’s love has lived within me and through me and has helped sustain me throughout my journey in life.
It took me twenty-three years to write our story and publish it in our book titled Joy in the Journey . . . our book that truly has become a lifeline in so many lives . . . our book that has given its message of healing and hope to so many lives who walk with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . our book that has helped caregivers discover the blessings in their walk with their loved ones and has allowed them to find joy in their journeys!
Yes, today, as I sit quietly in the early morning hours, I celebrate the life of my mother.
As I look at her picture, my heart smiles as I remember!
Copies of Joy in the Journey that detail an incredible love of a mother and her daughter are available at Amazon.com. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte NC and Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. The audiobook is available through Amazon, Audible, iTunes, and Apple Books.
June 9, 2021
The Days Dwindle Down to a Precious Few
It is June 1996. My walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease is coming to an end. The days dwindle down to a precious few for us. Through this walk, the losses are so great. As I walk this journey, I face the loss of my mother each step of the way! And I grieve each loss along the way. I question, “Why did this happen to such a beautiful and loving lady? Was there not something more I could have done to help her? Where were my church friends and my family when we needed them?” And even at times, I questioned, “Where is God in all of this?” I hoped that the answers, though not present now, would come later.
These dwindling days, even with the heartache of losing my mother, are full of blessings! During these days and nights, we spend together, Mother remembers my name! We have so many moments of conversation about her life . . . about our lives together, about her Celebration of Life Service . . . about my life as I will move forward without her. And we have many moments of silence where I realize how much I will miss her . . . her wisdom, her love, her hands holding mine through all of my life, her laugh, her faith, the force of good that she has been in my life. I realize that to give her the ultimate gift of peace from this horrid disease that has ravaged her mind and body, I must hold onto the gifts she has given to my life . . . and, that I must let her go . . . that I must grieve again!
These certainly were the “best of times” . . . and the “worst of times” all jumbled up together.
Read about our journey together through Alzheimer’s Disease . . . read about these last days and the blessings they brought to both of our lives in Joy in the Journey, Walking With Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s.
Copies are available at Amazon.com in print, eBook, and audiobook. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and Books & Moore in Calabash, NC. The audiobook is available from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes/Apple Books.
June 6, 2021
Walking the Journey
Joy in the Journey is a powerful journey of two hearts beating as one as a daughter walks with her mother hand in hand and heart to heart through Alzheimer’s Disease. It is the journey of a daughter and her efforts to bring dignity and peace to her mother through all the ups/downs, and round-a-bouts of their journey! It is a journey filled with loss and filled with blessings . . . a journey filled with loss of hope at times . . . and moments of hope regained! It is a journey of moments of despair . . . yet, a journey filled with moments of joy! It’s a journey that affirms the one thing Alzheimer’s Disease cannot take away is love . . . for love is not a memory . . . it is a feeling that lives in your heart and soul! And it is that love within two hearts that takes this daughter and her mother through their journey into a triumphant song of life!
If you are walking this journey with a loved one . . . if you know someone who is walking this journey with a loved one . . . read the powerful message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey. May it be a guide . . . may it be a blessing . . . may it carry you through your journey with everlasting love and peace!
Copies of Joy in the Journey are available at Amazon.com. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and Books & Moore in Calabash, NC.
Audiobooks are available at Amazon.com, Audible, and iTunes.
May 3, 2021
A Day of Celebration!
I have been an avid reader all my life and lived in a community with an independent bookstore. Oh, how I loved to visit there! I don’t think I ever left without purchasing a book or two! As time has marched on, independent bookstores seem to have become a “thing of the past,” taken over by Amazon and large chainstores. There is some sadness in that for generations to come. My own published book Joy in the Journey is being sold by Amazon to reach a wider audience. But it is also being sold at my small independent bookstore, Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC. They gladly accepted Joy in the Journey into their Author Program and even held a book signing event for me . . . invited me to read at their Open Mike Nights . . . and have embraced me as a local author!
There is no greater feeling than to be recognized by your “growing up” small independent bookstore, and now I have found a new independent—Books & Moore—who just this past week have embraced by book Joy in the Journey for sale in their store!
Two brothers fulfill a dream with their new independent bookstore in Calabash, NC. A year ago, brothers Corey and Joseph “Joey” Moore were sitting around talking with their family at their parents’ home in Calabash when someone mentioned that Calabash had many shops but was missing a bookstore. Corey and Joey looked at each other and smiled as they both had the same thought: “We should open a bookstore so people don’t have to drive to North Myrtle Beach or Sunset Beach to pick up their favorite books.”
Being shop owners appealed to them, and in the fall of 2020 that idea came to fruition. The sign went up at Books & Moore on Beach Drive. They stocked their shelves and welcomed their first customer on November 16th. I began to follow Books & Moore on FaceBook. A few weeks ago, I reached out to them, sending them an autographed book and a letter of introduction to me and Joy in the Journey. Their response was affirming and they wanted my book for their store.
A dear friend of mine who was vacationing in Sunset Beach last week went to meet Corey and Joey at Books & Moore. She took them a few autographed copies for their store. And so it is that I have yet another favorite small independent bookstore—Books & Moore. If you are visiting near Calabash, NC, drop in. It is a visit you do not want to miss!
Thank you for your dream, Corey and Joey, and for giving Joy in the Journey “wings” to reach the hearts of Caregivers in Coastal Carolina who are walking with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease! Thank you for making another dream in my life come true!
April 25, 2021
I am sharing with you a special note received from a new Reader!
“There are no words to thank you enough for your gift of your book, Joy in the Journey in my life! I have been taking care of my sister who has had Alzheimer’s Disease for a year now. Some days are better than others, but most of them are horrible! I have felt so lost and alone in trying to cope with this disease of total loss in my life! I have cried a million tears and screamed to God to please help me find my way through it so I can continue to try and help my sister! Just when all seemed lost in my life, a friend gave me a copy of Joy in the Journey. I immediately read it. When I came to the end, I knew God had answered my prayers! What a blessing you have given to me! I now know so much more that helps me understand Alzheimer’s Disease on a deeper level and better ways to deal with the roller coaster of symptoms it has brought to my sister’s life and mine! Most of all, I can now see the moments of joy and the ability to see the blessings it is giving to my life!
“Thank you so much for sharing (as you call it), your mother’s story, your story, our story told in Joy in the Journey! Believe me when I say that it is a life changer for anyone who is caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease!
“Please, please, please, if you are a Caregiver, get a copy of Joy in the Journey and begin to discover the blessings it can bring to your life!” —Deborah H.
Copies of Joy in the Journey are available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, N.C. The audiobook is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books/iTunes.
February 22, 2021
Somedays, as an author, your heart is filled with gratitude for your Readers! Today is such a day in my life! I received a note this morning from one of my readers that I will share with you!
Thank you, Rachel!
“I am writing to you today to let you know how much the audiobook of Joy in the Journey has meant to my life! I read the book version last year while taking care of my mother who has Alzheimer’s. So much guidance was gained from your book that helped me better understand the disease and learn better ways to cope with the devastation that it brought to my life. It brought so much inspiration to my life!
“When I read on your Author Facebook Page that it was now an audiobook, I knew I had to get it! I downloaded it this past Saturday, put in my ear buds and begin to listen! I only stopped listening for part of the day. In the evening, into the night, I continued to listen! Your story heard brought tears to my eyes! Listening to Joy in the Journey brought the reality of your Journey and mine together! Your words that ‘it was a sacred experience’ are true!
All of the emotion expressed in your book came alive in my soul through your audiobook!
“I am sure I will listen to Joy in the Journey audiobook many more times as I continue taking care of my mother! You are to be commended, Nancy Howie, for sharing your story to help others who walk your road in their own lives with their loved ones! You will never know the true blessing it has been in my life. I thank God today for your gift!
“I recommend the audiobook Joy in the Journey to everyone! I hope that even if you have read the book, Joy in the Journey, you will get the audiobook! It is truly ‘a sacred experience!’ Thank you from my heart for this gift!” —Rachel
Joy in the Journey audiobook is available through Audible, iTunes, Apple Books, and Amazon.
February 1, 2021
I could never thank Karen Kline Christoffersen and Ken Kruckenberg enough for working tirelessly together to make this dream come true in my life! When I first listened to the audio version of Joy in the Journey it was a truly a sacred experience for me! Karen’s voice was the perfect voice to “tell my mother’s story . . . my story . . . our story!”
While listening to it, I relived every moment of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s! It became a story that “came alive” in my heart! My hope is that the audio version of Joy in the Journey will be, (just as the book has been), an inspiration and a guide to those walking with a loved one through a memory disease . . . that it will be a blessing and bring hope, healing and joy to their journey! From “this little heart of mine,” thank you Karen and Ken for honoring my mother in such a special way . . . for giving our story “wings” that will now transcend time and space!
october 17, 2020
We walked to help raise funds to support the Alzheimer’s Association research that will provide better treatments to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease . . . research that can lead to a cure for future generations . . . and for programs that will continue to support Caregivers as they walk with their loved ones through Alzheimer’s Disease.
Today, my heart is full of gratitude for all who donated to Team Joy In the Journey! As of today, we have reached 107% of our fundraising goal! My heart thanks each and every one of you!
Yes, we walk to raise funds, but we also walk to honor those who have lost their fight with Alzheimer’s Disease . . . we walk to remember those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s . . . and we walk for those who can no longer remember . . . and their Caregivers!
I walk personally each year to honor the memory of my beautiful mother. We walked through Alzheimer’s Disease, hand in hand, heart to heart . . ., grit and grace, and with love! Through our walk I was given so many blessings that allowed me to find joy in my journey with Mother.
As I walked yesterday I gave thanks to my Joy In the Journey Team for their commitment to come together again this year in support of this most special day of remembrance in my life! They are each, Kindred Spirits in my life who bring joy in my journey through their loving hearts!
With each step I took on our walk, my heart smiled!
This year, I am donating any and all royalties earned from the sale of Joy In the Journey to the Alzheimer’s Association . . . September through November 2020! If you have walked with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease, or if you know someone who is walking that journey with a loved one, please consider ordering a copy. The message of healing and hope given through Joy In the Journey has been a blessing in so many lives!
Joy In the Journey is available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC.
September 25, 2020
Alzheimer’s Disease continues to affect thousands upon thousands of people in nation and in our world. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s with another 16 million providing unpaid care for individuals fighting Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. It is a disease that brings loss to the persons who are diagnosed with it and to the caregivers who walk with them through Alzheimer’s Disease. It is, perhaps, the most difficult journey you will ever walk. And there is no turning back once the clock begins to tick on your journey through Alzheimer’s Disease.
Research has developed a few drugs that can help to slow the progression through Alzheimer’s Disease, yet. Nothing can stop the progression. There is no cure. Having walked this journey with my mother, having published our story of our walk, Joy in the Journey, Walking with Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s, has been a blessing in the lives of so many Caregivers. I remain passionate about being a part of helping to lead us onward to a day without Alzheimer’s Disease and all other types of dementia.
This year, the Alzheimer’s Walk in Charlotte will look a little different. Due to Covid, this year’s event will not be a large in-person gathering. Instead, walks will be held by small teams of friends and family in their own communities, on every sidewalk, track, and trail.
We will walk, we will remember . . . we will be a part of those continuing to raise funds for a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
Our small Team, Joy in the Journey, will gather and walk on Saturday, October 17th at 10 am. in our community. We will raise funds in support of research and programs to help support every life affected by Alzheimer’ Disease. As a part of this Walk, I will be donating all royalties from the sale of Joy in the Journey from September through October to the Alzheimer’s Association. Copies of Joy in the Journey are available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC. If you would like to help in our efforts, go to act.alz.org, find our Team Joy in the Journey, and make a donation.
Thank you all for your love and support . . . Nancy Elizabeth Howie
July 7, 2020
In the middle of a pandemic while “sheltering in place” to remain safe and well, makes it sometimes difficult to focus on the “Goodness of Life” on a daily basis! The lack of social contact with family and friends often leads to a feeling of isolation. Not having the opportunities to be “out and about” sharing Joy in the Journey with so many who are walking with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease creates a huge void in my life! Then a day like yesterday comes along and I receive a beautiful note from a Reader who is walking with her mother through Alzheimer’s Disease! I am sharing that note with you:
”I moved into my mother’s house to take care of her two years ago when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Those two years were a nightmare in my life. In the beginning it was not so bad, but as Mother’s condition progressed I totally fell apart trying to understand what was happening to her and forced to realize that no matter how hard I tried, I could not change it.
“As time went on, Mother went from being a sweet lady to becoming argumentative and combative. I quickly realized that I could not care for her anymore in her home. We live in a small town with only one nursing home close by. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I was able to place her there. That was six months ago. Everyday has been a battle with the staff there to give Mother the care she needs. I have been devastated and lost not know where to turn for help.
“A friend of mine bought and gave me your book, Joy in the Journey. I started reading it one afternoon and could not put it down! I read on into the night and felt like I was reading my own story! As I read I was able to gain so much understanding of what had happened to my life and to my mother’s life from Alzheimer’s Disease. I was able to come to a greater acceptance of all the horror it had and continues to bring to both of our lives. I have begun now to feel stronger and more able to cope with those horrors! I do not know how long this will last, but because of reading Joy in the Journey, I know that I will make it through this!
“The greatest thing you have taught me through your book is that Alzheimer’s Disease can never destroy the love that my mother and I have for each other and to look for the blessings along the way that it can bring to my life.
“Thank your for giving your story to me and to so many who need it! You have given me the hope I needed to get through this with my mother and, hopefully as you did, be able to find the joy in our journey together through Alzheimer’s Disease.” —With gratitude, Avery
This note reminded me of a quote I read along my journey through Alzheimer’s Disease with my mother . . . “To care for others who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” Avery has accepted this high honor in the care of her mother! She is to be commended for walking with her mother through each step of the devastation Alzheimer’s Disease brings to the lives it surrounds and consumes! Today, I feel so much gratitude for Avery’s friend who introduced her to Joy in the Journey! To know that the message given through this book has given Avery’s life hope to face each day along her walk with her mother, to know that she will be looking for the blessings along that walk that will somehow allow her to experience joy makes my heart smile! Thank you, my dear Readers as you continue to place Joy in the Journey into the hearts and souls who need it! You confirm to my life that even in the midst of a pandemic, we, together, continue to have the ability to give hope . . . a hope that will make a difference in the lives that surround ours!!
Stay safe. Stay well. Stay committed to finding joy in your journey!
Thursday, June 11, 2020
The audiobook version of Joy in the Journey was just uploaded to Amazon.com/Audible and Apple Books/ iTunes today! I will notify you as soon as it is available to download and enjoy on your phone, your iPad or your laptop. Listen to Joy in the Journey as you drive around town in your car or on road trips, which seem to be some of the only safe things to do during the COVID-19 crisis. Or just listen while you’re enjoying a much needed rest in a bubble bath. I assure you, it will put you to sleep! Not! I hope! Thank you for all your support and love through this experience with me and my family.
Just today, I received an email from a reader affirming the message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey I share it with you now
”After reading your last Nancy Howie Author post, I bought a copy of Joy in the Journey. I went through Alzheimer’s Disease with my mom three years ago. My brother and my sister did nothing to help me. They said they just could not stand to see Mother like she was! I stayed angry so much of the time. We have not spoken since Mother died.
"When my copy of Joy in the Journey arrived, I fixed a cup of hot tea and sat down to begin reading your story. I could not put it down! It was so much like my walk with my own mother! The feelings you honestly shared were feelings I, too, experienced! Especially the family division parts!
"I want to thank you for telling your story. After reading your book, I am going to find a time soon to talk with my brother and sister. It is time we experience the love we shared before Alzheimer’s entered our lives, again."Thank you for giving me hope that my family will once again reclaim the love we seemingly lost! For, you are right when you say, 'There is one thing Alzheimer’s Disease cannot destroy, and that is love.'"Thank you, Nancy Howie, for helping me to believe that the message of healing of hope given through Joy in the Journey is possible in my own life! I commend you for writing the greatest book on Alzheimer's I have ever read. I plan to order more copies and give them to others who need this beautiful story in their lives! You are a blessing! Thank you!"Samantha A."P.S. I hope others will read Joy in the Journey, will order copies on Amazon, and share them with their friends!"To Samantha I would say, "Thank you for sharing your story with me; for your testimony of having received the healing and hope from Joy in the Journey I pray that you and your family will find the bond of love you had before Alzheimer’s Disease took it away and that together you will experience love and joy in your journey!"
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Thursday, December 5th . . . a day that will live forever in my heart! My gratitude to the ladies at Talbots’ Store in Pineville, NC for their steadfast support of me, for their steadfast support of Joy in the Journey, for giving me the opportunity to share the message of healing and hope given from Joy in the Journey with those who have walked, with those who are walking, with those who will ever walk with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease. It was a day of celebration in all of our lives!
My gratitude to all those who came to celebrate with me on this special day–for friends who continue to continue to affirm the message from this book and who continue to give that message “wings” to reach those who need it, for those who came to be “introduced” to Joy in the Journey and talk with me about their own experiences with loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, for every life that has been, or will be touched in some way through its message!
Yes, Thursday, December 5th was a day of many blessings shared in all the lives it touched! And, my heart smiles, and will always smile, in gratitude for those who are a beautiful part of the joy in my journey!
Saturday, November 9, 2019
The Alzheimer’s Walk in Charlotte, NC, was held on Saturday, November 2nd. Our Team, Joy in the Journey, joined over 3,000 people to become part of the fight for the first survivor! Our Team exceeded our fundraising goal! It was a day of remembrance and celebration for all. Crossing the finish line brought pride into our lives realizing that we walked for those who could not walk, for those who could not remember, for those who are caregivers in the lives of those they love who are living through Alzheimer’s Disease, and for those of us who have walked our own journeys with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Walk may be over, but Team Joy in the Journey wants to do more! Throughout the month of November, as the Author of Joy in the Journey, Walking with Grit and Grace Through Alzheimer’s, I will be donating royalties from the sale of my book to the Alzheimer’s Association! I will also be accepting donations from those who missed the Walk deadline through the end of 2019!
Why do I feel so strongly about donating to the Alzheimer’s Association?
- Alzheimer’s is the only disease in the ten leading causes of death in the US that cannot be cured, prevented, or slowed down.
- More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
- By 2050, it is estimated there will be as many as 16 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.
- By 2050 there could be as many as 7 million people age 85 and older with Alzheimer’s Disease, accounting for half (51%) of all in this age group.
- Every 66, seconds someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s.
- Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the US.
The statistics are staggering, folks!! We must join hearts and hands together with the Alzheimer’s Association to fund research and help give caregivers more resources on which to lean as they walk their journeys with their loved ones! If your life has not been touched in some way by Alzheimer’s Disease, statistics indicate that it will be in the years to come. We must all become active in the fight to end Alzheimer’s!
October 2, 2019
When writing Joy in the Journey, I had one wish. That wish was and forever will be that the message of healing and hope given through this story of my walk with my mother through Alzheimer’s Disease would be given “wings” to reach the hearts of people who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and those who walked their Journey with them . . . who would be given a better understanding of the disease and how to cope with all the symptoms of the disease in better ways, who would learn to see beyond the losses experienced through Alzheimer’s Disease and receive the gifts their journey brought to their lives, and ultimately find joy in the journey!
In this one short year since publication of Joy in the Journey countless lives have been changed through its message! I have received so many notes, emails, messages, phone calls along with personal conversations with people that affirm the receipt of the message of healing and hope given through Joy in the Journey! I am forever grateful for my Readers and Supporters through this year!
It has been said that “Every time you leave a positive review for an author, you become the little voice that whispers, “Don’t you quit.” That message keeps this “Little Book Peddler” to keep on keeping on contacting agencies, churches, friends and friends of friends through Social Media to continue giving Joy in the Journey “wings”! Your amazing efforts to help bring a smile to my heart!
Just this past week, I was sent the following review of Joy in the Journey from Marcia Francis:
“Nancy’s heart has taken up pen to journal vividly life with her Mom, who had developed Alzheimer’s Disease. Although we’ve never met, I found myself walking beside Nancy through all types of storms. At times I felt as if I would be overwhelmed by their magnitude, knocking me down, and forcing me to lose my breath.
“This disease was robbing her mom of life; robbing Nancy, family, and friends of someone they loved dearly. The daily reality was just not graspable, especially understanding that there was no retreating, nowhere to hide, no comfy blanket to wrap around you, and no place to catch your breath.
“Even through the loved poured into the words for her mom, the personal devastation pounds against your heart. As you read Nancy’s painful narrative, you begin to understand a bit more clearly things about Alzheimer’s that you would rather not ever have to face. If you are there, you know.
“Nancy Howie’s transparent account of this sojourn flows deeply into your heart and finds a home there.”
My heart thanks you, Marcia for this beautiful affirmation from your heart to mine!!
It is you, my Readers, who continue to give Joy in the Journey “Wings!” It is you who touch the hearts and souls that have walked, are walking, or will find themselves waking this same journey with a loved one through Alzheimer’s Disease. It is you who bring Joy to my journey as. You reach out to others in such remarkable ways to give them hope in the “living of their days!”
Today, I simply say, “Thank You!”
Copies of Joy in the Journey are available on Amazon. Autographed copies are available at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, eBooks and audiobooks are available on Amazon, Apple Books, i Tunes, and Audible.
July 9, 2019
Many have asked “What were some of the thoughts/emotions and feelings you experienced as you walked with grit and grace through Alzheimer’s disease with your mother that inspired you to write Joy in the Journey?”
I wrote Joy in the Journey because I needed guidance for this walk and could not find it in any book I read. I needed to know how someone moment to moment, day to day lived through this devastation and I could continue to give care love, dignity, and peace to their loved one’s life. I needed an understanding of this disease! I needed to understand that there would be times that seemed hopeless; that there would be times when you felt like throwing up your hands and giving up; that there would be times you questioned, “Where is God in all of this?”; that there would be a feeling of loneliness like you had never experienced.
I needed to accept that along this journey that there might be glimpses of wholeness if only for fleeting moments, and understand why those moments could not last. I needed to understand and be able to accept that I would face the ultimate loss of someone I loved dearly; that I would become powerless over the disease, but that somehow I would be given the strength and courage to “keep on keeping on.”
I needed to know that when my mother looked in my eyes and had no clue who I was, that deep within her heart and soul, she still felt my love. I needed to understand that when the time came that my mother could not ever again make new memories in her life, that I would remember for us both. I needed to know these were normal caregiving thoughts! I needed someone to tell me it was okay to have these feelings—that I was okay!
I needed to know that this disease might divide and separate our family but that it would not and could not destroy the love we had for each other. I needed to know that even the loss of friends, the loss of my church, the loss of compassion needed from someone along the way, that there was no loss so great that would destroy my ability to give Mother the care she needed.
I needed someone/something to give me hope in finding the blessings this journey was giving to my life that would lead me to find joy in my journey. To this end, I wrote and now dedicate Joy in the Journey to the hearts of all who are walking or who will walk this journey with a loved one and need it in their lives, too.