Tag: father

Today 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, diseases that are blind to gender, ethnicity, political party and faith. By 2050 the number of those "living with" is projected to rise to nearly 14 million. Standing alongside those living with these brain diseases are millions of family and friends affected as well.

I think about the arc of my mother’s life as college sorority sister; to wife, mother and career; then my father’s passing; through the whimsical and friendly hallucinations she initially experienced; to the terrifying delusions that caused despair and injury; then the decline of advanced dementia and death.

I knew when I looked into my first born's eyes for the first time, and all my children after, I would do all I can to protect and take care of them offering them the best of me. When my music career took off with the hit singles, Walk it Out and 2 Step, I was happy. I was happy for me and for my family and I was thankful for my fans.

Even after my stardom, I still had to remember everyday my first and foremost commitment. My first commitment has always been to be a dedicated father and husband. I have been married, and with the same woman, for over 10 years and I have 5 children with different personalities and talents.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~Richard Bach

I recently learned that the transformation of the caterpillar to a butterfly isn’t just about the effort of spinning their cocoon. Once inside, the caterpillar literally liquefies in its metamorphosis to its adult form as a butterfly, which, while short lived, optimizes the astonishing feat of beauty and freedom that most all living creatures aspire towards.

After you get married, it’s easy to become so busy with the details of everyday life that you fail to consciously appreciate the people who helped get you to where you are today. If you’re like most people, your parents are foremost on that list. They taught you important lessons, provided for you, sacrificed for you, and made many unforgettable memories with you. So on Father’s Day, be sure to hit the "pause" button on your own family’s activities and pay special attention to the man who raised you.

My wife is about to lose her father to cancer and we have relocated nearly 2,000 miles away from home so she can care for him till the end. She is becoming increasingly withdrawn and is trying to convince herself that she is not allowed to cry. Is this healthy in the grieving process and what actions can I take to help?

First, I’d like to commend you for being so supportive of your wife. The fact that you were willing to move so that she could care for her father, in his final months, is truly quite honorable of you. Also, you’re sensitivity in being concerned for how she is dealing with her father’s imminent passing is also quite admirable.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching—along with all the romance, roses and chocolate traditionally part of the day's celebration. But here’s the thing... why should Valentine’s Day be reserved for romance alone? Why don't we celebrate love itself?

A Canadian resident, Karri Carberry, 19, was introduced to a band called "Three Days Grace" by her Dad a number of years ago, a passion they happily shared. So when the band was scheduled to play in Edmonton, Alberta, she immediately got tickets and invited her Dad to come with. There was just one hiccup; her Dad is deaf. This, however, did not deter either of them. Karri interpreted the lyrics in sign language for her Dad, so he too could enjoy the concert. When other members of the audience—at first annoyed by Karri’s signing ("What is that girl up to?!")—realized what she was doing, they were astounded, and ended up entranced by her interaction with her Dad.

When Elizabeth Kennedy’s 84-year-old father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease two years ago, she removed the car keys from his Johnstown, Pennsylvania home and his Volkswagen Passat from the driveway. Despite warnings from his four children and his doctor, any opportunity to get behind the wheel would have proven too tempting for Kennedy’s newly widowed dad.

"He was convinced he was a perfectly good driver, and he took it like he was being attacked," she said. "My father didn’t understand why we told him he couldn’t drive anymore."