How Did I Survive? Truth, Strength, and Walter Cronkite

I grew up listening to Walter Cronkite. He signed off each nightly newscast with “And that’s the way it is.” As a kid, I was often alarmed by the news. But I reasoned that if Walter Cronkite respected me enough to tell me the truth, then I could handle it. Yes, my reasoning was flawed. Mr. Cronkite didn’t know me. 

In this episode, I share deeply personal stories from my childhood. That's when my first caregiving experience really began. Both of my parents had enough confidence in me to tell me the truth, even at five years old. 

Still, decades later, Mr. Cronkite's respect and my parents' confidence helped me find the resilience I needed to care for my husband. He had Alzheimer’s. Today’s family dementia caregivers need someone who respects them enough to tell them the truth. Caregivers need the truth to make a plan -- for minimize the chances of falling, to recognize what might be a urinary tract infection (UTI), to serve food not likely to cause choking, to adjust the household budget to hire a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), to ask the hard questions about the real costs of memory care facilities. Sometimes, we can plan only one step at a time. But one step IS progress. 

I hope that in hearing my childhood story, other caregivers will be able to look into their pasts and recognize times when they found strength. Now is the time to draw on that strength. We need to survive.