Did you ever wish you had a book of spiritual readings about Alzheimer's caregiving you could read every day to help inspire, comfort and encourage you as you travel along your caregiving journey? Until now there was no such book, but that has just changed. One was published this past December by ClergyAgainstAlzheimers.
Seasons of Caring: Meditations for Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers (available from Amazon for $13.80) is a book for anyone who loves and cares for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia and for their families and friends, clergy and faith leaders, and care professionals. It contains more than 140 original meditations from 72 faith leaders and care specialists representing a wide and diverse range of major religious traditions.
Each of the contributors - many current or former caregivers themselves - draws upon his or her years of experience to offer words of hope, encouragement and understanding to those on the Alzheimer's caregiving path, giving voice to the unique challenges confronting Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers.
Each meditation is one page or less, making reading them easy to fit into your busy life. If you read one every day the book would last you for nearly six months.
Dedicated to all who have Alzheimer's and dementia and those who love them, the meditations are grouped into the four seasons of the calendar. Each begins with a Bible verse or other quote relevant to that particular meditation and ends with a brief prayer.
To read the first 21 pages for free, go to the book's website: SeasonsofCaring.org. The book has been very well received and has an average rating of 4.9 on Amazon (on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest).
The Editor-in-Chief is Daniel C. Potts, MD, whose father, Lester Potts (who had never painted in his life), became an artist of acclaim when he had Alzheimer's. The book's cover is graced by one of Lester's paintings, and five additional stunning paintings can be found among the book's pages.
There are four other editors. They are Max Wallack, Lynda Everman, Rabbi Steven M. Glazer and Dr. Richard L. Morgan.
"I hope that Seasons of Caring brings you comfort, inspiration and spiritual growth during a deeply challenging time," said Trish Vradenburg, co-founder of USAgainstAlzheimer's, who wrote the book's Foreword.
She continues, "Every contact with an Alzheimer's sufferer is important and felt on some level, whether they can express it or not, and we should keep trying to reach them despite the immense challenges in doing so."
Meryl Comer, author of the New York Times best seller Slow Dancing with a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer's, said, "Seasons of Caring offers solace and comfort to help families live in the moment with their loved ones."
ClergyAgainstAlzheimer's is a national network of clergy, laity and faith organizations working to focus our nation's attention on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, to promote dignity and compassionate care for those with Alzheimer's, and to support families and caregivers. It is a network of USAgainstAlzheimer's, an entrepreneurial organization demanding a solution to Alzheimer's by 2020.
Marie Marley is the award-winning author of Come Back Early Today: A Memoir of Love, Alzheimer's and Joy. Her website (ComeBackEarlyToday.com) contains a wealth of information for Alzheimer's caregivers.