The Ties That Bind: A Memoir of Love, loss, and the Human Spirit

On December 24th, 2019, after almost six years of being an in home caregiver for my Mother, it suddenly all came to an abrupt ending when my Mother had to be admitted to the hospital - and then a nursing home - for her own good. One would think a man in my position would have felt at least a certain amount of relief, knowing in his heart that she was better off in the hands of trained employees who could give her 24 care, which I myself could not provide. It can be overwhelming for you, but you have to make yourself choose what's best for all concerned. Or so I thought. What happened to me over the next few weeks - let alone what I had to endure over those six years as a caregiver - all came crashing down on me at the same time, threatening my very physical and mental health to the extreme. I am healing now - although I doubt I'll ever be the same again - and it is my hope that this book will help someone else who has been in my same position to heal as well, learn to cope with all those different feelings that have been bottled up inside their heart for so long. This book is dedicated to my Mother. This is our story; one of ties that bind, love, loss, the strength of the human spirit, and the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life - and her life, too.