My mother has dementia and I am stymied by the unpredictability. Sometimes she’s sweet and sometimes she makes up wild stories. For example, a couple of nights ago she fell out of bed and hit her head on the floor. Fortunately she was ok! The next day she accused me of hitting her on the head with a baseball. My question is, does anyone at Ananda who has been through this have any insight as to how to make sense of her suffering? Especially in light of the Gita, ego vs soul?
—Andra Denslow, USA
If possible, take a workshop on how to care for someone with dementia. There are also helpful books to read. You can explore ways that ease these everyday interactions. Wherever you live there are help groups. Remembering, also, that no matter what the mind and body go through in this life, we are still the soul and that is what remains. Individual karmas melt away when this life passes. You are blessed to help your mother through this karma. Call on God’s grace for guidance and help and so you can open even more to that grace and help.
