What a Wonderful World

This is a special month for many reasons. Though it could have been a sad month that I dreaded, and it was for the past few years, it has become a month for celebrating my mother's life, as well as that of the Lord she believed in and lived for. Easter is a time for rejoicing, and so April has become a time for celebrating-- with my mother's birthday on April 6, and the day her new life in heaven began on April 23, 1996, when she left this life behind.

I have been giving the Remembering to Care Award for two years now, and beginning during this month, in memory of my mother. This year I have given the award for the first time to two people in one month. These two have been very influential in my life in the past year and a half or so, helping me to rediscover the spiritual life I had sort of given up on. These two have become treasured friends, dear sisters, and I've even had the wonderful opportunity to meet them in person. With all of my heart, I love and thank God for Dorothy Womack and Brenda Race.

On April 6, I presented the Remembering to Care Award to Dorothy Womack for her Web site, Passage into Paradise. This site is actually a book, the story of Dorothy's years as her mother's caregiver. Around a year ago I read Dorothy's book for the first time, and through tear-filled eyes I identified with someone who had gone through all I did, and even more-- much more than I would ever have the strength to bear. Dorothy has not just one Web site, but several-- including her books of poetry, Crowning Touches and Alzheimer Angels. Her poetry can also be found at her Reflections at Marsha's Alzheimer's Outreach, at A Window on My Mind, and here in Alzheimer's Contributed Poetry at this site. Dorothy also writes for Caregiving Today, and her articles are posted at this site as well in Alzheimer's Articles. A busy lady on the Internet, Dorothy also has led various online support groups in the form of discussion lists and chats, helping caregivers and former caregivers to develop spiritually as well as to learn more about Alzheimer's and caregiving. Her influence in my own spiritual development in the past year is a very special miracle, and I treasure Dorothy as a true friend and sister. From the bottom of my heart, Dorothy, thank you for everything!

The second award this month goes to Brenda Race, today, on April 23, 2000, for her Web site, Poems, Prayers, and Promises. Like Dorothy, Brenda has become a true friend and sister who I love dearly. Brenda's poetry has been enjoyed by many at her Insights at Alzheimer's Outreach, as well as here in the Contributed Poetry, A Window on My Mind, and at in The Poetry Works of Brenda Race at Nancy's Caregiver's Haven, and now she is also sharing them at Poems, Prayers, and Promises, her wonderful new site. Brenda and I have so much more in common besides our names. Brenda cared for her mother at home until she was placed a nursing home in Dec. 1998, exactly two years after my other was placed in a home. Then in December 1999, her mother passed away. Brenda is a talented writer who continues to share her experiences and to touch others through her beautiful poetry and through articles in Caregiving Today, which are also shared at this site as well in Alzheimer's Articles. I'm presenting this award to Brenda on April 23, 2000, the four year anniversary of my mother's death. Thank you so much, Brenda, for being a true friend to me, and for sharing your wonderful writings with us all!

I must apologize to all of you who have written me or signed my guest book in the past few months. It's been such a busy winter and spring, and I'm so far behind on this site, so terribly far behind on answering email, and so far behind I don't even know where I stopped with trying to respond to guestbook entries, so I beg your forgiveness and thank you for your patience with me. I'm afraid my site may have become a collection of many broken links, but I will try my best to take care of those, as well as to try to catch up on email and guestbook responses, when I have some time off work after this semester ends. Again, thank you so much for your patience with me.

Happy Easter, and God bless you all!