Building blocks
I just visited an older family member who, over the past few years, we’ve gone from supporting as he needed help at his home, then in our home, then, finally, just in the past few weeks, in the dementia unit of a nursing home outside of Washington, D.C.

I was so worried that he’d feel frightened, and I just returned from yet another visit. (So now you can guess the inspiration on that poem from the last post?)

His changing brain reminds me of a set of building blocks built into a complex structure. But, slowly, some of the blocks are stolen, so he has to rearrange the remaining blocks in ways that make sense.

Today I asked how he’s feeling. He told me this is the nicest hotel he’s ever stayed in ~ the chef is fabulous, and what service!

We are all authors. And while this man’s new story isn’t quite true, it also is.

One little poem…

I just heard that one of my poems is being published! It’s in an anthology of poetry with other writers from the Maryland region.
My poem was inspired by the moment I redefined a good night as: one on which the police didn’t call to say they’d picked up our senior.
No, not high school senior…
The poem is called Losing Words, written in twenty-eight diminishing lines from the first person point of view of an aging man. It’s from my collection, Growing Down. You can find it in Life In Me Like Grass On Fire: Love Poems*, an MWA book edited by Laura Shovan.

My advice on helping an elderly family member through the aging process is: keep your sense of humor.
If you’re going to hunt for a lost pair of reading glasses twelve times in one afternoon either way, make it fun! Use your imagination. A little competition with prizes is okay! It’s part of life. You may as well laugh about it. Be kind to everyone involved, including yourself. Remember how you’d want to be treated, because one day that may be you. And your kids are watching. 🙂
Life in Me Like Grass On Fire: Love Poems, available at Amazon.com

DC’s National Gallery of Art: Sculpture Garden

When you visit Washington, DC, the Smithsonian Museums are a must-see. Inside these museums you can visit priceless and breathtaking works of art, history, and nature. I love to visit the National Gallery of Art. But an oft-overlooked little gem is the National Gallery’s outdoor Sculpture Garden.

Children and adults alike are fascinated by the optical illusion of George Lichtenstein’s House I. The gardens combine art and horticulture to create a magical environment. Do you notice the lack of leaves on this tree in the foreground? It’s a sculpture ~ Roxie Paine’s Graft, made entirely of stainless steel. And if you enjoy music, don’t miss the free jazz concerts here on Friday nights starting at the end of May.
~ Melinda Bennington

When you visit Washington, DC, the Smithsonian Museums are a must-see. Inside these museums you can visit priceless and breathtaking works of art, history, and nature. I love to visit the National Gallery of Art. But an oft-overlooked little gem is the National Gallery’s outdoor Sculpture Garden.

Children and adults alike are fascinated by the optical illusion of George Lichtenstein’s House I. The gardens combine art and horticulture to create a magical environment. Do you notice the lack of leaves on this tree in the foreground? It’s a sculpture ~ Roxie Paine’s Graft, made entirely of stainless steel. Think about that for a minute. And if you enjoy music, don’t miss the free jazz concerts here on Friday nights starting at the end of May.