Sunset on a winter evening



A sloop of amber slips away

Upon an ether sea,

And wrecks in peace

The son of ecstasy

Poem by Emily Dickinson
          Photo by Ginger Bristow Gaitor
 



Two nights ago I went for a walk, expecting snow. It was cold, but as I turned the corner, I saw the sun drawing close to the horizon. I turned around and went back for Bill who had just gotten up from his afternoon nap. 

We hurried around to the front of our building again in time to photograph and watch the progression of this sunset. Watching the setting sun was a joy Bill had everyday in his house, high on a hill with an open horizon facing west, but now we just have to be lucky enough to catch one.  It is high on our priority list.

When someone has depression and brain injury, it is often hard to share things of joy and beauty with them.  It is a daily goal and sometime struggle to find things that Bill will enjoy. He loved this sunset as did I, and we stood in the well below freezing afternoon, holding hands through our mittens, watching a beautiful end to another day.

The medical news that day was somewhat challenging to use a positive word, and ending the day with bright amber skies put that news onto the back burner for the rest of the evening.

That is what caregivers need to do often. Find those short times, even five minutes at a time if they can, and enjoy them together.  My counselor tells me to grab those five minutes any time by myselt so that I can to reduce stress, but the joy of sharing them with Bill makes it doubly worthwhile.