Renewal is a word that presupposes something has lapsed and needs a restart. It’s a word that becomes a yearning, for us when we become tired or jaded. Renovation is a similar word that describes our aspiration for a new beginning after the isolation of COVID and all the other changes we’ve endured over recent years. Whether you prefer renewal or renovation doesn’t matter; both words will resonate equally as a worthy objective as we emerge into a rapidly changing world.

Recently I was able to make an interstate trip to visit the second addition of a Great-grandchild to our family. A fine young man in the making, a cousin to my first Great-granddaughter. It was a real treat, a joyful and happy encounter with the newest part my loving family. And then it was such a thud to come home to a cold, empty house. Seeing the vibrancy and the joie de vivre of my children and grandchildren and their young progeny has heightened the lack of that quality in me! It was a pleasantly busy time as the family ensured there was something to keep me on the go each day. Reminiscing now about the joy of that visit is wonderful and serves to remind me that we need to make our memories, not just imagine them.

Daydreaming is pleasant but doesn’t usually achieve or promote any physical activity, such solitary mental gymnastics can easily lead to lethargy; a state of mind and body that’s neither good for me nor those with whom I have contact. Often, we need something else to jolt us out of feeling introspective and miserable, particularly after all the isolation periods of the last couple of years. Certainly, I seem to have lost my youthful spark, my mojo, as they say these days. Don’t want to get up in the morning, can’t be bothered doing anything much at all…. every little chore is a challenge. As my readers will be aware, my prayers to a caring God continue to sustain and strengthen me, so parts of my psyche are well nourished. However, and despite my daily dedicated walking regime, there remains the need for some other mental, physical, and social rejuvenation, so I’ve been thinking on how to achieve that.

Clearly, I need to spice up my life a little, while I can. I console myself with the belief that to enliven myself is not selfish. I have convinced myself to make a justifiable attempt, while I am well enough, to be a person with a better and hopefully happier disposition. Now, having just had that tiny taste of travel again, I am hungering for a more comprehensive personal overhaul, a sort of remake. What’s more, I have determined to do something about it

Now, having convinced myself of the need to invigorate my surly self, I have begun to plan a longer break. Yes, I know that might be a bit risky in these coronavirus days, but I will press on and look for a possible ‘escape’, a time away from where I live. Dorothy, my late beloved wife, was not only a wonderful cook and soulmate but also an excellent home finance manager. The result of our combined frugality now enables me to afford a diversion from the grief of her loss, and the means to escape the solitude of the last few years. I’m on the hunt for a holiday! I may well discover most of our Australian vacation venues are overbooked for this year, but – nothing ventured, nothing gained. Or maybe next year….

I realise that many of my readers are fully occupied in caring for their loved one and cannot easily take that kind of timeout for a holiday, almost at any time. And I also know that it would probably then be a solo break accompanied with some feelings of guilt; I remember that, too, only too well. Separation can be hurtful for you both, but the fact that you still have each other and can be together is the consolation. You are using the time you have, now, to reinforce your love and to share whatever you can. But do take a break, just a few days might suffice – some space is critical for you both! That’s not being selfish, it’s helping your partner, too, because when you are in good spirits and more placid, only then you can be a blessing to them and others who share your life-space.

Maybe you, too, could consider reinventing or rehabilitating yourself to become more valued to those who love you. Don’t let yourself relapse – take a break of some kind, do your best to renovate and renew!

As a child I could never quite see why those two words had to be together! Separately, they had a recognisable meaning, I knew what ‘real’ meant and later, understood what an estate was, but wondered why those words were constantly joined together.

Pairing the right words to make sense is much the same as joining two people for the same purpose! Finding the right partner makes sense for even more good reasons. Alone we could easily become lost on our journey but it’s far less likely when we are together with the right person. Indeed, it is truly amazing what can be achieved together; that’s how I think of my marriage to Dorothy. It’s fine to talk about the power of one but, let’s face it, most of us need to be ‘paired’ to walk the road of life without too many wobbles. What a difference when a load (or a joy) is shared!

Thinking about the word ‘real’ lead me to consider relationships and how we need to face reality in our lives. It is so easy to drift into a way of life that becomes self-centred with little or no regard to others, even a partner, and sometimes we need a jolt to face reality. Like real estate we are all different. Even two identical houses will not be the same, each one furnished, heated and cooled differently and used for different activities. Like us, they will also need different maintenance.

As Dorothy’s Alzheimer’s intensified and became more complex I struggled with the reality of it. For a long time, I refused to accept it was anything other than just getting older and, like me, becoming more forgetful. Our children could see it from afar. I was so close it was not apparent in the same way. And the consequences meant a heavy toll on my ability to cope. Over time, perhaps like you, my reader, I ultimately recognised that our lives had become more complex and finally accepted that we both needed help.

Thus began my journey with Dorothy as a different person to the girl I’d married sixty years ago. In the beginnings of those last years there were, nevertheless, many happy times and we were able, albeit fleetingly, to re-live some of the many wonderful experiences we’d shared earlier. We could communicate with each other, even in those last days, sometimes with a giggle, a smile – even a hearty laugh or a hand-squeeze, or simply by sitting together. But progressively those joyful moments became more rare and there were times when she didn’t even recognise me.

I treasure, and always will, the precious memories of earlier years when we were able to share a total awareness of each other. Those days were the ‘real state’ of happiness for many of us who can still remember!

To do any job, to drive a car, cook a meal, to help someone, in fact to do everything we need a degree of concentration – and focus. When that focus is centred only on our loved one it can become constant and intense, virtually an obsession that ‘blinds’ us to other aspects, to the bigger picture.

In earlier times when I was caring for Dorothy at home, I developed a kind of alertness that could be called a ‘single or narrow focus’. I was switched-on and alert all the time, twenty-four hours a day. For ages, I didn’t realise that I was virtually excluding everything else from my mind and my life. As a result, I could never then quite see beyond the immediate scenario; captive to a restricted lifestyle. I was constantly tired, even lethargic, and certainly less able to be a stimulating companion. It was hard, sometimes challenging work, but a labour of love.

Other people, our friends, our family and medical staff, each with their own unique perspective are more able to focus on us and see our total lifestyle. They see the bigger picture easier than we can manage – they have a ‘wide-angle view’, one that as carers, we can fail to see or understand. Only when we consciously step back, take time out and get some help, can we properly and safely assess the whole of our circumstances.

It took me quite a while, too long, to realise that Alzheimer’s had crept into our lives and we needed to seek help; then later, as a carer, to see the need to periodically take a break – to become refreshed and better able to cope. It is so important for carers to stop and smell the flowers; to pause from routine, to step outside the circumstances of the day, even of the moment.

Caring means so much more than kindness or concern, it encompasses a vast range of actions and emotions. It’s true we all care for something or some person, and care requires a commitment. It’s more than just work or love, and we apply ourselves to it in various and complex ways; it’s what defines us. But it always requires the carer to be ‘fit for purpose’. Simply put, that means we’re no good for anything if we don’t care about ourselves. So, I’m writing this for you, my reader, to remind you of that fact!

It is often said that ‘variety is the spice of life’ and I think we’d all agree. And it’s especially true for those who have the care of someone at home (and for the staff at care homes). Being in the same place and repeatedly doing the same regular routines can take its toll. There is certainly a place for familiar routines but, over time, the constancy and repetitious sameness can become depressing and debilitating. It can affect a whole family, indeed a wider circle of friends, not only of the person being cared for but, importantly and especially, the carer and their family and their circle. Constantly and consistency are not good bedfellows over time!

That’s why all of us, carers or not, need to re-charge our wellbeing batteries sometimes. A particularly vital role for all carers is to recognise and know when to re-energise. Then how to arrange a regular substitute carer – for an hour or two, or for a week or more. It is absolutely critical to plan and arrange that ‘me-time’. At least try to set aside some personal time each day or each week, no matter what your circumstances. Don’t give up caring for yourself! Have you noticed how tired you’ve become lately? If that’s so, then you simply must make an effort to get help. The time-out, for you and/or for your loved one, is respite time and without it you simply can’t effectively care for both of you, even with love. Families are often not able to provide that kind of help, so you might need to look for a respite carer yourself. Check out some of the available resources right here on this website (see above: ‘Links to useful sites’). All of us, including those who work in care homes, need to look after ourselves, mentally, physically, and socially, and ensure our diet is wholesome, too! Maybe you need help with meals, cooking, shopping, cleaning, and other things, and those links might help to get you started.

I well remember my ‘battery-charging’ event when I was able to place Dorothy at a nearby local facility for a whole week (MannaCare). She had her own bedroom, was involved in carefully managed joint activities every day, and was fed well-prepared meals. I visited her there during the week and had a meal with her. Good for her, good for me. It was also (although not planned at the time) an excellent chance to see how she coped in that environment. Later, I arranged for a whole-day session each week so I could have some regular me-time. Ultimately, as Dorothy’s Alzheimer’s progressed, I had to place her in full-time residential care at BlueCross Box Hill, where she was able to have excellent round-the-clock care and I could visit at any time (in those pre-COVID times!).

So, while you still have your partner at home, please make time to be a better carer/parent/friend – don’t become a worn-out drudge who’s no fun at all to be with! Keep your eye on the whole of your lifestyle. Like these new-fangled phones with whizzbang cameras, we need a ‘wide-angle focus’ to see the whole picture and get the exposure just right!

“Tight as a drum” is an old saying, easily recognised by my readers as meaning ‘all tensed up’. Drummers will tell you the golden rule: ’Over-tightening will only stress and damage the instrument’. I have learned that the same rule also applies to us!

Recently I attended a small group session on-line when we were encouraged to recognise and avoid the consequence of ‘over-stress’. It’s quite normal that we feel stress in every aspect of our lives, and that’s OK. Some stress can sharpen our minds and, like a violin string, produce a beautifully correct outcome! It’s the ‘over’ part that’s the problem! Constant over-worrying, sadness, depression, or just being miserable is not only detrimental to our health it is also socially disastrous. Who wants to be in the company of someone full of misery about themselves? At times we all need to find a way out of that abyss when we can only see and feel worthlessness and insecurity; but it’s not easy, is it? That’s why I was heartened to think ‘outside the square’- or that bottomless pit! Because it’s true, isn’t it, that when we are feeling down it feeds on itself, becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, and we become trapped there: the sadder I feel, the sadder I get.

The session suggested what should be obvious: that we learn to stop and take time out. To find a way to still our mind by simply concentrating on something outside of ourselves, to focus on an object or a space; to concentrate and visualise – anything. Try it! It does require a mental effort and a mindful step. I took that first step when I joined a small group of like-minded people and accepted some professional guidance. The result is that I now have a simple technique that helps me regain and restore a degree of normality, or at least sociability, when otherwise I might feel like crawling under a rock!

The method is like a self-administered tonic. No drugs, no pills. The key word is ‘stop’. Stop and clear your mind; stop every internal and external thought and current influence and simply focus on some ‘thing’ or object close by, or outside through the window. Sounds easy, eh? Stop frowning, clear your mind, and try it! So easy, and it works! Now you know my closely guarded non-secret, you can do it! Just stop. Sit comfortably and relax. It’s like taking your mind on a holiday, away from imagined pressing realities and necessities. The world kept spinning didn’t it?

With a settled mind and optionally with your eyes closed it becomes possible to ‘visualise’ – and that’s the key word. What you visualise in your mind’s eye can be anything – your choice. In my case, with eyes open I focussed on the gently waving tips of a nearby gum tree. Another participant explained later they thought about (with closed eyes!) the seashore, the smooth sand, and gentle breakers. Our facilitator used that scenario to then verbally take us down deep into the ocean, to a place where the surface turbulence was stilled, where it was peaceful and quiet. After we’d totally relaxed, and with a clear mind, we could take control of our upward journey again, back to reality. Refreshed and calm, not frowning and tensed. Maybe that won’t last…but we can go back, any time…..…..

That mental exercise demonstrated how we are totally capable of being in control; that our muddled minds can be gentler, relaxed, and competent, not mentally compromised, and certainly not stressed. We simply need to be self-aware. Aware of the destructiveness of tension and stress, which only feeds on itself.

So, from this point on I will try to not be a ‘frenzied friend’ who is no fun to be with. I’ll try to remember that a drum is a necessary part of a band and works best, like us all, when it’s not over-tight! I also learned at that session to value the ‘sounds of silence’……..

I know a lady called Joy. She is, by nature, sweet and a pleasure to be with, most of the time. But, like the rest of us, I also know that she has her ‘down’ time, too. I’m reminded of that old rhyme by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, about the little girl who “When she was good, she was very good indeed, but when she was bad she was horrid”. Being horrid or even just being out of sorts is not confined to girls – us blokes have the same range of emotions! The feeling of joy can be fleeting, and, in winter months, it seems to fleet more often. The absence of joy in a person could show in many ways: as unhappiness, or grumpiness or, at its worst, depression.

I’m certainly not a psychologist, but some forms of depression don’t need much diagnosis. The effects may, or may not, be apparent to the sufferer, but certainly their friends will often perceive a difference in their behaviour. Most of us don’t have ‘clinical’ depression, thank goodness. Somehow we often get an inkling of a friend’s feelings when they are down or melancholy, or simply sad. And our friends and family will often be aware of the difference in their normal interactions with us and will begin to worry if our condition continues for more than a few days. Fortunately, for most of us, being ‘down’ is a short-term malfunction of our social life and we identify it and can usually take our own remedial action!

I know when I’m down…. Can’t be bothered doing anything – cooking, cleaning, shopping, even reading, it all seems so pointless. My personal immediate response to feeling down is to sleep. At it’s worst, that means not wanting to get up in the morning. And that usually follows a restless night when I have spent the wee hours reliving all the things that are not right in my life – in the past, now, and all the fears of the future. Usually, at my lowest, I remember God and I pray. And invariably that process includes identifying and summarising all sorts of thoughts and committing them to my Lord. Somehow that ultimately leads me to still waters, and I sleep. That’s not to say I always wake refreshed! The process can take days, but I have faith that it will work, and it does, and it continues to help me see beyond the winter of my mind.

Of course, there are other times when I feel worthless, weary, and unwanted. I sometimes deal with that by walking. Yes, I walk it off! There will come a time when I can’t walk, and then I will need to devise another strategy. Meanwhile, I walk the streets and parks in the area around where I live, sometimes with a chilled and constantly churning mind. Then I seek solace in stopping to smell the roses, to admire or despair at the state of suburban gardens, and delight in finding a low brick wall to sit on for a rest. I’m lucky that there aren’t many days when I can’t find a gap in Melbourne’s notoriously changeable weather that allows me to shuffle out for ramble.

It’s a bit hilly around here and that’s not a bad thing, ‘cos it forces me to breathe deeper and walk even slower when my heart beats faster. Those hills (that feel like mountains) also help to bring me back to reality when I ‘fence-sit’ to recover my wind and my wits, and consider whether to turn back or press on! The ‘recovery-stops’ help to ground my thoughts and rest my body. It’s then that I notice things up close: the kempt and unkempt front yards, the flowers, the grass, the traffic. The stillness and the movement seem to mirror my emotions and I thank God I am still able to experience the wonder and complexity of life wherever I am, indoors or outdoors.

Walking outdoors in winter, I am rugged up snugly in a warm jacket, a hat, and a scarf. Now wearing a facemask most of the time I am almost unrecognisable to the odd passer-by who, more often than not, doesn’t even respond to my hello. Never mind, I’m upright, on my feet and mobile with walking stick and, as I ramble on, it’s an enjoyable time to reminisce and re-live some of those past happy times . Behind my facemask, a passer-by won’t see what I’m smiling about when I see a bush we often sold in our little plant nursery (we ran one for ten years after my early retirement).

And when I get back from my walk, I seem to have forgotten all those depressing thoughts I took with me when I closed the door and set off. If it’s too wet, I’ll stay home and do a crossword or read a newspaper or a book.

So, there’s nothing quite like a walk with my Maker to straighten my back, lengthen my stride and sharpen my good memories …. and if Winter has come, can Spring be far behind?