As I prepare for my first book signing this Sat, my thoughts immediately turn to the reason that I wrote my book in the first place. My goal was to help other caregivers keep their hearts and souls above water, and realize that the wild gambit of emotions that they feel each day is entirely normal.  When I first began my caregiving experience there was very little data available on the intangible side of dementia care. Oh, there was information on the signs and symptoms of this heartbreaking disease. Experts chose to outline in great detail the bleak forecast for the days ahead. The focus was on all that the patient was going to lose, which offered very little hope to the loved one who had to figure out how to maneuver through dementia’s daily mine-field. But I learned through experience that even amidst all this sadness, there remains much to be celebrated. Over the course of 10 years it became necessary to approach my caregiving experience from a vantage point of retention and not loss. And so my ideas evolved into what eventually became this book, a book that is very dear to my heart.

I hope that on Saturday I will be able to look into the kind eyes of fellow caregivers and remind them that they are not alone. I’ll be at the Barnes & Noble on Fair Lakes Promenade Dr., in Fairfax, VA from 1 – 3pm. I’d love to meet you, so please stop in and say, “Hello.”