Jean Maas, an LBDA Forum member (though we haven't heard from her in awhile), joined the Highlands County (FL) LBD and AD caregiver support group a couple of years ago, after her husband was diagnosed with LBD. She recently took over as that group's facilitator. She wrote the "Tapestry of Love" about the support group. The LBDA circulated it to other support group facilitators yesterday. Certainly the LBDA Forum has its own tapestry....


TAPESTRY OF LOVE

We look at Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, as being terrible diseases that burst into our lives destroying and disturbing everything we know of life.

In my prayers the other day, I had an “Ah-ha” moment where God showed me how the picture of our little group has turned into a tapestry of a beautiful “heart” of love, consisting of threads of love like:

• Joe and Alice, Eugina, Phyllis and Juanita, taking the time to bring their partners and sharing with us.

• Ellen, Shirley, Jean, Jo-Ann and Fran, all widows sharing their grief of losing their loved ones to these diseases.

• Lois, the lady of beautiful prayers, teaching us how to handle professionals, when our love one is hospitalized.

• Fred and Robert, holding on tight, showing us strength and love, while taking care of their wives in a nursing home.

• Jim, always up-lifting with the smile and a pat on the back.

• Josie, showing the enduring love of a daughter.

• Rita, always smiling, even with personal health problems.

• I, because of a handicapped adult child, can show the love that a special needs person can give to a family unit.

There are so many more support group members who make up this picture, each giving a special color of strength and love to help build this design.

Then there is BILL & LYN, the loom that God has provided us to help weave all of our “threads” together.

We truly make up the picture of a beautiful
“Tapestry of Love”
“The Heart of a Loving God.”


Written by Jean Maas, a member of the Highlands County (Florida) Area Weekly Caregiver Support Group for their Valentine’s Day 2007 meeting. This support group is comprised of caregivers who have a loved one with either Lewy Body Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Jean became the support group’s facilitator in May 2009 due to the sudden death of Lyn, the group’s original co-facilitator and because Bill, Lyn’s husband and co-facilitator, had developed vascular dementia. They are lovingly remembered above. Jean dedicates her ‘Tapestry of Love’ in memory of Lyn Roche.