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Today's Featured Biography

 
Judy Allen Shone

“Life spins on a dime”…quoting Stephen King in 11/22/ 63 and it surely has. Who knew how their life would go? How many are where they thought they’d be? Definitely not me.

I retired in 2008, two years before the last reunion. I am so grateful to have been there in 2010 to see as many as I could that weekend. For a couple more years I continued to design websites, cruised with My Love on his boat and brought a little malti-poo puppy into our life. BUT I never dreamed I would end up a committed caregiver for My Love with Alzheimer’s, anxiety, and COPD, colon cancer, osteoarthritis, elevated calcium and a couple things they are ‘just going to let be,’ beginning three short years later, a role that is ongoing to this day.

As I related in the two books I have written about our journey, I never intended to take care of anyone 24/7, it just was never my nature. I resisted, I rebelled. And finally, I accepted what I have discovered is the gift of caregiving.

Needless to say, writing two books while being a caregiver was….actually the perfect distraction. I moved my computer to the dining room where I could observe My Love watching TV in the living room rather than his coming to the office and hovering wondering what I was doing. It has been ideal to be able to be in the room but to be able to escape to my mind with the touch of the keyboard.

If you want to know more…read “Is There Any Ice Cream? Surviving the Challenges of Caregiving for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s, Anxiety, and COPD. Accepting the Gift of Caregiving, Part One.” The website is https://www.CaregiverAlzheimerStory.com. I was driven to publish it when I kept meeting caregivers who were more frightened than I was, more in denial than most, more trying hard to go it alone, but couldn’t. I knew what I had learned in the, by then seven years, had to be shared. I had to do more than journal my notes. The second half of our journey, revealed in Part Two of the series, ”Did You Hide the Cookies?” comes out spring 2020.

So, my life before 2012…whether you recall or not does not matter…pales in comparison to being a caregiver, meeting the individuals who have been drawn to the community of caring for others. It turns out my becoming a caregiver was a blessing…for me. I was the one who needed to learn. For one thing, My Love has no idea about anything, me, the world. Nothing. But I am the one who has learned the huge lesson about caring for other human beings. Yes, it was not the path I chose. I ignored the call earlier in my life. I am grateful I had a second chance.

And almost equally as amazing a revelation is that I finally have been able to write for me. Not for text, or web content, or for someone else, for research or short pieces. I stopped waiting and started writing for me. But sadly, it took My Love to get sick to make it happen. But I wanted to write something I wanted to write, and so I did. …the process, the bonus of the publishing adventure. Life could not be better. I could not be happier!

Yes, I still live in Canada. Have been here 36 years and love it.

What is ahead? Funny that is what one of my (thank God for them) therapists asked me last week. I have no idea. But since he planted the seed, I will be thinking about it. Who knows what the next adventure will be…as I spin on that dime Stephen King mentioned.

Love seeing of you who are on Facebook…you know I knew very few of you in HS, and now feel we have been friends always! Love you all.

Wrap your arms around your shoulders and squeeze…hugs to all. Judy Allen Shone

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