Tag: life

  • Father’s Day

    Father’s Day felt hollow without my dad at the table – he’s back in the care home after a fall and hospital stay. Watching other families with grandfathers stung. I miss his quiet wisdom, his help, his presence. Even everyday problems remind me of what we’ve lost, piece by piece.

    Father’s Day
  • Birthdays & guilt

    I reflect on feelings of guilt and inadequacy surrounding my father’s recent birthday celebration in a care home. I compare this guilt to “mum guilt” and discuss the pressures of balancing family, work, and self-care. Despite the weight of these emotions, I seek positivity and self-compassion in navigating dementia.

    Birthdays & guilt
  • Thinking about loss and dementia

    I visit my father at the care home, grappling with the complicated emotions of being unable to care for him full-time due to his dementia. I think about the questions that have been raised by his nurse about the end of his life and hold onto moments of connection with him.

    Thinking about loss and dementia
  • He’s in a care home now

    I reflect on the challenges of placing a loved one with dementia in a care home after a lengthy hospital stay. Although initially heartbroken, I recognise the comfort my father feels there despite the emotional pain of separation. This difficult reality seems particularly hard to accept at Christmas.

    He’s in a care home now