Overview

Living Is for Living: A Caregiver's Story presents a real-time look at the multi-layered experience of caring for an elder with Alzheimer's disease and other health challenges, while also being there for a spouse, children, and house full of pets. Addressing difficult topics like caregiver burden, end-of-life decision-making, and letting go, Mitman offers humor and hope as she weaves together research and reflection gathered over two decades. She details, too, the guidance received from those around her, the inspiration found in a Higher Power-to her, Love-and the experience of moving back to a geographic home. In addition to speaking to the saving grace of spiritual awakening discovered in her twenties with the help of the Twelve Steps and Al-Anon, Mitman describes what it was like to return to Maine, after years away, raising children in Wisconsin, a place she had grown to love, too. When changes in her mother's health threatened independent living and her mother moved to the Midwest for company, Mitman was determined to get her back to Maine when her own family life allowed, two years later. Mitman eventually came to understand that this home-coming was healing to her, as well, as she continued to show up for her mother, a smile on her face, thanks to the help of family, friends, and caregivers, finding space to care for herself and to adapt to the daily losses, and then later, after her mother died, to process the grief that landed front and center. When Mitman first blogged about her caregiving experience at thejoyofcaring.com as a way to relieve stress, be creative, and share what she was learning about parenting, marriage, dementia and more, she did not anticipate how her community of readers would fuel her in staying the course of her mother's care and the grief that would follow. Living Is for Living is Mitman's way of remembering her caregiving journey and passing along its many lessons, in gratitude to all who provided support along the way and in hope of helping others on caregiving paths of their own to feel supported too.

Full Product Details

9798985937008

Table of Contents

Reviews

Living Is for Living is the story of a caregiver-mother-wife-daughter-sister-friend-basketball player-student-writer-lawyer-dog owner who is paying exquisite attention to the details of relationship, presence, and quality of life even as they get harder and harder to hold. While Terry's experience of caring for her mother is quite different from my own experience of caring for my Dad through his years of dementia, Living Is for Living brought me right back to the ups and downs. With humor and honesty, Terry shares the frustration of navigating communication challenges, medical specialists, and balancing priorities while also celebrating the joys of an ice cream sandwich, a walk with the dog, and the community of friends and family who rallied behind her. I finished the book inspired and resolved to nurture my relationships and activities with the depth of attention and intention that Terry brought to hers. -Lisa Steele-Maley, author of Without a Map: A Caregiver's Journey through the Wilderness of Heart and Mind and Arriving Here: Reflections from the Hearth and Trail. Terry's writing always touches my heart. There were many times on my caregiving journey with my mother, who had vascular dementia, that I recalled Terry's words and experiences. I was comforted to know that I was not alone in my fears, doubts, humor, and joy. -Mary Ann Hill, Massachusetts My Dad had Lewy Body dementia when he died in 2017 and my Mom has other issues that often bring me to the same edge Terry describes...out here in the wide world it's good to know other people share our struggles. -Susie Knuth Miller, Wisconsin I returned to Terry's words over and over again and found so much peace and guidance. While her elderly mother with her memory loss over years and my young, college athlete son with a sudden terminal diagnosis seem so different on the surface, the message I took away and that comforted me the most from her writing was the celebration of a life well lived, no matter the circumstances of death. -Christy Hale McKenna, Pennsylvania

Author Information

Raised in Maine, graduated from Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, I had spent the better part of the last three decades parenting our three kids in Wisconsin. In 2016, in the midst of their leaving the nest, Mom moved in with us from Maine, leading to precious time and daily opportunities I'd never anticipated. I learned, in large part by trial and error, how to give care to an elder with Alzheimer's disease and other health challenges, while also walking with our kids into adulthood.On June 6, 2021, a year and a half after Mom died, our nest empty for the first time, I was ordained an Interfaith Minister by the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine. I've come to believe that sharing my caregiving journey is one of the ways I am called to chaplain. I hope these reflections inspire insight and growth, humor and joy, and a sense of community that offers fuel in walking life's greatest challenges, which sometimes turn out to be our greatest blessings. I am grateful for how revisiting my real-time reflections has helped me process and heal.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available