I have mentioned that Nick broke his ankle last week. Well that has brought many unexpected experiences. Some of them are more fun than others. All have been memorable.
Nick continues to amaze me. Let me share this one story as an example. He has been very tired since he broke his ankle. One day this past week, when we woke him up from sleeping, he had soiled the bed. A wet bed is not easy to clean up after a child pees, but with a grown man, it is truly a mess.
Arden and I are both trying to have good attitudes through this broken ankle experience and not be frustrated. It hasn’t been easy. In any case, we got him undressed and into the bathroom to begin the process of cleaning him up. Since he can’t walk right now, moving him requires both of us working to wheel him down the hall and into the bathroom. We both left him there for just a minute, to retrieve some things we needed to clean him. As we headed back to bathroom, we heard him start to sing….
“How do I live without you? I want to know. How do I breathe without you? If you ever go, How do I ever, ever survive. How do I, How do I , oh How do I live?”
It made both of us smile, and dissolved our frustration. I walked back into the bathroom and said, “are you singing to us?” “Yes,” was the reply, “Shania Twain sing it.” Although there have been many women who have recorded this song, Nick loves Shania’s version.
Sometimes Nick has used the lyrics to songs that he knows to communicate with us, especially when he can’t articulate his thoughts completely. As I said he continues to amaze me.
It was a wonderful experience for us. We knew that he appreciated us taking care of him especially during this difficult time. As a caregiver, it can really help during the hard days to know that what you are doing is appreciated.
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