It is no secret I have a weakness for hot chocolate.
It is still my hot beverage of choice, long after my peers switched to a daily coffee habit. So what does hot chocolate have to do with dementia? Everything and nothing at all.
Nothing at all? Our lives do not become a compressed, medical version of ourselves when dementia enters the picture. So moments for play, a treat, or a visit from a loved one should never become a line item on the care plan or viewed with a medical lens. It should happen simply because, and enjoyed for the beauty of being in a relationship with a loved one.
Life is made up of Moments. Dementia does not change this; these moments become more important with dementia. They are moments of joy, sorrow, care, and faith. So make some hot chocolate in your favorite mug, sit down, breathe, and savor the moment.
Welcome back to our Hot Chocolate Moments!
Today, as I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you, I found myself (thanks to my Christmas in New York mug) remembering my first Christmas after moving to New York. It was a beautiful season, with a great blanket of snow on the 14th of December covering Central Park in almost a storybook manner. It held all the magic and wonder you would imagine New York at Christmastime would provide. As much as I already enjoyed living in New York, I was caught off guard by how much it brought me into the Christmas spirit. New York was not and is not my “starry-eyed city” (Chicago will always hold that title), and so for me, New York was wonderful, but it wasn’t the city it is to many who dream of living there. I didn’t expect to be swept up into its splendor.
Why am I telling you this? Well, because I want you to be caught off guard by the season. To allow yourself to find wonder in the twinkling lights, and the way the sprinkles fall onto a cookie. I invite you to allow yourself to enter into the spirit of Christmas.
As care partners, as individuals struggling with various trials, it can be hard to let go while simultaneously continuing on with life. We can find ourselves thinking we must be serious, task-oriented, and focused. But, I am going to let you in on a little secret, wonder and joy can be found in those things. We can take a breath, and take in the world and color around us. We can celebrate life while journeying through the sorrow.
So, make yourself a mug of hot chocolate, breathe, and allow yourself to accept life’s invitation into wonder.
