A Journey in Words: Discovering My Being
I
am number 13 in a family of 17 children. We grew up on a farm where everyone did everything. No one was excluded from contributing to getting the chores done.
It was hard work and we never lacked for anything that was important. There was sibling rivalry and a lot of laughter. We played as hard as we worked.
Mom was the glue and the disciplinarian. The lesson ingrained was: Family is always important. Be true to yourself.
Mom and Dad had their issues, yet you saw those flashes of love. I had the pleasure of getting to know my mother as a woman first. Once we developed that relationship, I have always respectfully treated every adult as a person first and parent second. As adults, we have needs and those needs do not always get met as parents. That gift alone is precious beyond words.
A tear escaped my father while he read a piece I wrote for him. I have been writing all my life. Life changes have sparked my creative energy to write. This was not the book I began. This was the book that I always wanted to write: my poetry/prose.
Divorce Bye Dementia
Age no longer mattered as I watched and waited while my husband disappeared into the desert of dementia. I had to keep living while this happened and the realities set in.
Do you think you know your family and friends? This is when you really find out. There are legalities to be considered, and what you thought was within your vows suddenly become non-existent.
Blended families are an added burden to the legalities. If I looked at people as separate persons before, I really do now. Do we know how much of the responsibility for ourselves is unconsciously handed over to our marital partner? We find out when someone we love falls into the abyss of dementia and we have no way of helping.
Dementia does not mean you die a slow death with them. It means gritting your teeth and moving forward in whichever direction is healthiest for you.
This is about the gauntlet that no one is prepared to run. Your spouse may not know you anymore, but you certainly find out who you are!
Caregiving has suddenly taken on a whole new meaning, and it needs to be defined more appropriately for the caregiving survivors. Society needs programs to address the mental and physical health of caregivers, whoever they are.
I have considered many times not publishing this book, but it is as honest as I can be.
Connected Life Awareness: Continuing to Discover
“This is the continuing discovery of who I am in my own humanity, as expressed in freeform prose-poetry,” states author Diane E. Peeling about her latest book Connected Life Awareness: Continuing to Discover.
The works were written over many years and include one-to three-page writings about all the emotions that go with living life fully.
Readers may begin their journey on any page to enjoy the prose.
She says, “Listening to my readers who read my first book, A Journey in Words – Discovering My Being, the one thing that has been repeated to me is that the prose-poetry is as relevant today as when I wrote and published it. My greatest pleasure is that people recognize what I am writing and can relate to the words. The impact sometimes is only known to the person who reads it. I hope this book continues that legacy from my heart.”
From her Poem “Year Enough,” written on Dec. 31, 2020:
With loss comes gain, not necessarily monetary.
The gain has been that change is hereditary,
It is our ancestors that began us all to grow forth.
Recognition of who I am is mine alone and that is enough.
Each of us is societal and private rolled into one.
Kindness is ours to give, and what our enough is to decide.
Great loss this year has made me aware,
To write into words as only I dare.
About the Author
Diane E. Peeling is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. David Beveridge resides in an extended care unit. “I still live on the acreage. It has been my safe place to be.” This is her second book.