One Day at a Time

Original Post: 5/20/2013

It's been a long journey to get to this point with Paul, and even though it appears that he is worse for wear, he truly is not. Since I last posted anything about my brother's condition or living situtation we have found an assisted living facility just right for Paul. It has been no small feat to accomplish this and has taken a team of people to bring Paul to a place where he can have as much autonomy as possible. 

The band aid on his head is the result of Paul being unfamiliar with his new diggs and forgetting that he needs help with orientation. Paul moved into Carriage Court near Jewish Hospital on a Saturday and promptly fell, bumping his head so severly that he needed stitiches. Luckily, he comes from a family of hard-headed people and there was no other injury. 

So now, we settle into life. Paul is healthy and happy with his new place. The staff is very friendly and anxious to help. Those of us who care for Paul's situation are happy with the friendly staff, and the fact that it's a place that's easy to visit. 

Since I began this lesson in life back January, I've learned so much. 

Here's a few of the lessons:  Never say never. Where there's a will, there's a way. Bull-headed and strong-willed are two sides of the same topic. Surrender does not mean powerless. Letting go is synonomous with with peace of mind, and is very difficult to achieve. 

And while I have usually seen the situation with my brother as something that happened to more than just him, I have compassion for this sixty year old man who didn't ask to be this way. After all, I believe that, given the strength he has to maneuver his wheel chair, to try to get himself up and on the bed, the toilet, into a chair; if he had not been involved in that accident 36 years ago, he might be at the end of a long career as a respected firefighter and paramedic. But there's no value in wishes that won't come true. The only value is in living one day at a time.