I can build it, but that doesn’t mean he will use it. We had a lovely barrier-free shower with grab bars installed in one of our bathrooms. My husband tried it once and decided he doesn’t like it. He prefers the old shower in our master bath.

Take advantage of help when it is available. After years of doing all our yard work myself I finally hired someone to help me. It has lifted a burden and has the added benefit that I am supporting a local business.

Be open to new ideas when seeking solutions for challenges I face. We needed a new toilet and the model at the store had a bidet toilet seat installed. I had never considered a bidet for our personal hygiene needs. After seeing how it worked, I bought one and we both use it daily.

Plan carefully for travel but be ready for plans to be disrupted at any time. We flew to Hawaii in September. I had scheduled flights that fit our needs perfectly, the airline changed them. I had spoken with a hotel representative prior to our trip and thought I had covered all issues, the room was great, the bathroom was not. We made it work.

Know when to “lean into” something and when to “lean on“ someone else. Leaning into something is defined loosely by urbandictionary.com as owning a challenge, accepting the task and then doing it with confidence. I need to remember that I have a people both in and out of the PD network who are here for me. I don’t have to lean into everything, I can choose to lean on others in difficult times.

Live each day with gratitude for what I have not regret for what I have lost. I will celebrate what is going well with the understanding there will be loss along the way. Grief is a natural part of the caring process but wallowing in sorrow wastes my energy and I don’t have that much to spare.

Life is short. Hold the ones you love tight and make sure they know you care. Need I say more?