A Very Old Woman

I made a wonderful new friend today. Lotus is 96 and a long time student of Sogan Rinpoche. The occasion was a Tsok celebration at Rinpoche's home. When I told Lotus about our  Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care Project, she lit up. It turns out Lotus knows a lot about dementia care and mindfulness. Her husband died of Alzheimer's and so did her mother-in-law.  She too came to the realization of the importance of adopting a different way of being with the 'forgetful' ones.  And she has been taking action at the assisted living where she lives. Lotus told me about the aide that comes to her for advice, almost daily, whenever she can no longer 'handle' one of the residents there. "I talk to her, and then she goes back and is fine for a few days, and then she forgets. She tries to change the other person's reality, when it should be the other way around. But I keep at it with her . . ."

Today, I am grateful for Lotus's inspiration.