A Long and Winding Road: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love and Chaos
Sometimes reality really bites. Alzheimer’s has wrapped Mom’s brain into knots, vascular dementia has attacked Dad, and, instead of carefree retirees, we have become caregivers. Regardless, dreams die hard, and we somehow stumbled into the purchase of a forty-foot motor home. That’s when all four of us set out on this seven-week trek across sixteen U.S. states. Now, Dad stopped-up the toilet again, Mom wet her last pair of clean jeans, and David just announced that he was hungry. My head is beginning to pound, and I know this isn’t going to be the easygoing retirement we’d imagined for ourselves.
Linda Brendle takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotional and spiritual challenges that many families are facing right now. Co-dependency, mental breakdowns, and finding love after divorce are just a few of the issues weaved into this journey of caregiving. Whether you’re looking for an inspirational story to help teach you how to “let go and let God,” considering becoming the caregiver for one of your own parents, or are just looking for an entertaining travel book, this story is sure to strike a tender nerve.
Release Date: July 1, 2014
About Linda Brendle
After 15 years as a family caregiver, Linda began writing to encourage, inspire and amuse other caregivers. She loves to travel and since retiring has traveled mostly by motorcycle and RV. She and her husband live in a small East Texas town where she gardens, writes and attends church.Website:
http://www.LifeAfterCaregiving.WordPress.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LindaBrendle/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/linda.brendle
Google+: http://goo.gl/5Ov8qo
Goodreads: http://goo.gl/SeqyBz
Yahoo Voices: http://goo.gl/NT0bdt
Red Letter Christians: http://goo.gl/xYSvRf
Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20983741-a-long-and-winding-roadAnaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com
Thank you for taking the time to blog about Linda's wonderful book. I really hope people come to see the unique value offered in this book (there is a chance that any one of us could become a caregiver). So, I truly appreciate you helping us spread the word about it. Next big date: July 1st! This book will be a perfect way to gear up towards a celebration of freedom and independence. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIola, thank you so much for taking part in my cover reveal. I hope that sharing my story will help others who are already caring for loved ones or might one day find themselves in that situation. Helping others gives some meaning to the otherwise meaningless struggle Mom and Dad went through with Alzheimer's and dementia.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Linda
Iola, Thank you for featuring Linda and her much needed book A Long and Winding Road.
ReplyDeleteI plan on reading this book hoping I will not need to be a caregiver again for a long time, as I just came through 5 years of taking care of my Father who had dementia along with diabetes and limited mobility and then my late husband who had stage 4 cancer that spread to his brain and affected all his mobility , speech and walking etc.
I was Blessed to have the time with them and I experienced more of God's Grace every day taking care of them.
They taught me to be thankful for each moment I am given here and to really know what is important in my life.
Caregiving will leave you feeling blessed and exhausted but you will also gain a new understanding of what real love is.
On days when I could not find anything else to be thankful for I just thanked God for breath and I still do that as I still remember the struggle as illness robbed my husband the ability to do that.
My heartfelt blessings to Linda on her book.
Thank you
mcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Linda, Jessica and Jackie
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, and thanks for commenting. The ageing population is a growing issue, so this is a subject many of us are going to have to deal with, whether with our parents or our spouse.