I want to be like the hollyhocks growing in my back yard. I planted them last year and they have finally reached their maturity to bloom. Twelve feet tall and beautiful, they epitomize strength and resiliency. It is fascinating to watch them as they dance in the breeze. Even rain couldn’t knock them down, they yield to the challenge but don’t break. I need their strength and resiliency as I face the daily struggles of being a CarePartner.

While we may have a structured home life thanks to my husband’s Parkinson’s Disease, I never know for sure what additional tasks I might encounter. By maintaining a flexible mindset, I have the freedom to make it through my normal daily challenges and still be open to any new tasks that arise. It also allows me the opportunity to say no, not now honey, and to find an alternative plan to face whatever that new issue might be.  

Getting back to the hollyhocks and the lessons they share, the first is patience as it takes 2 years for them to mature and then they only bloom every other year. The second lesson is their strength as they grow on narrow stalks to heights unimaginable. The third thing they bring me is resiliency as the winds may buffet them but they continue to bounce back. Finally, I see their quiet dignity as they stand tall in my garden, bringing me pleasure and peace. May I be a hollyhock in my day today as I work to love and support my husband.