When things are difficult, some people tend to give up. Lady-Links do not fall in that category. We visit friends who have dementia because we believe that they are persons of worth and that their dementia doesn’t define who they are. We don’t give up just because our dear friends can’t do what they once did.
Yogi Berri apparently wasn’t in the “giving up” category either. His famous phrase, “It ain’t over til it’s over” inspired his New York Yankees 1973 baseball team to come from behind early in the season to winning the division title. Although my sweet mother never allowed me to use “ain’t” in a sentence, I can appreciate the emphasis it gives to this positive perspective. Lady-Links “ain’t” gonna give up believing that our dear friends deserve to be treated with value and respect, and that they can engage in activities that are meaningful to them.
At our visits, we focus on things that our dear friends can do, not what they can’t do. That’s the perspective of Megan Carnarius, author of “A Deeper Perspective on Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Practical Tools and Spiritual Insights.” She writes, “There is a lot of life to be lived between the diagnosis and the final stages.”
Inspecting a Cloisonne bowl, a decorative design of various colors separated by copper wire attached to a brass base.
That has been our perspective since we first began our Lady-Links visits over three years ago. We know that a progressive neurological disease is understandably difficult to bear and brings with it emotional, physical, and cognitive challenges. But by focusing on what our dear friends enjoy, Lady-Links provide a positive, upbeat experience at each visit.
“There’s a lot of life to be lived” and “it ain’t over til it’s over” are translated into action at each Lady-Links visit as we bring love and laughter embedded into activities that our dear friends can do and enjoy. And that’s the right perspective to have!
Lady-Links….Linking Love, Laughter and Life
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