Life Lesson

With both kiddos home, I find I'm driving more now, so I decided to check out an audio book from the library. The one I chose was Dancing With Rose. First off, it's an interesting book and the narrator is really good (I usually only like audio books that are read by the author). The important part though--this is a book about Alzheimer's. The author has been observing at an upscale Alzheimer's facility and decides to get the full experience by hiring on as a resident assistant. The book is somewhat about her daily routine and what all has to be done for the residents, but she manages to make the focus of the book pointing out that these people are real people, that they're still there, the daily interaction is just different.

Today, I heard a part where 91-year old Hayes is having a conversation with himself. He is speaking both parts out loud and the author is listening in. He says he wants to go home and then explains that he can't. He asks how long he has to stay and explains that he will live there for the rest of his life. He says, "It's not fair" and explains, "no, it's not. But that's the way it is". She clarifies that there's no grief or malice in his voice when he says this, just a matter of fact statement. I think it's a good life lesson. We do what we can, we make what we think are the best choices, and at the end of the day, not everything is under our control. Bad things happen to people every day. I'm not talking about getting stuck in traffic or running out of milk for your cereal. Things that really matter--things that change the course of your life and those around you. Some things "just aren't fair" and you can scream and throw a fit over that, or you can accept that it isn't fair and keep on keepin' on, because what else is there to do?