How nice to chat to Aunt Ruth, i always find it helpful to speak to older relatives /family as they say it as it is , and impart their wisdom . Glad it helped you .
I fight a battle every day
Against discouragement and fear;
Some foe stands always in my way,
The path ahead is never clear!
I must forever be on guard
Against the doubts that skulk along;
I get ahead by fighting hard,
But fighting keeps my spirit strong.
I hear the croakings of Despair,
The dark predictions of the weak;
I find myself pursued by Care,
No matter what the end I seek;
My victories are small and few,
It matters not how hard I strive;
Each day the fight begins anew,
But fighting keeps my hopes alive.
My dreams are spoiled by circumstance,
My plans are wrecked by Fate or Luck;
Some hour, perhaps, will bring my chance,
But that great hour has never struck;
My progress has been slow and hard,
I've had to climb and crawl and swim,
Fighting for every stubborn yard,
But I have kept in fighting trim.
I have to fight my doubts away,
And be on guard against my fears;
The feeble croaking of Dismay
Has been familiar through the years;
My dearest plans keep going wrong,
Events combine to thwart my will,
But fighting keeps my spirit strong,
And I am undefeated still!
Cpyrighted. Qouted for educational purposes, Poem by Samuel Ellsworth
Thank you for the poignant poem Palerider. The words so eloquently express not just the feelings but also the reality of the never-ending battle of caring for a loved one with dementia, which has been intensified by the shielding and visiting restrictions of covid-19. No matter what the difficulties, just keep fighting to do your best for your loved one, whether they are at home or in hospital or in care. The more this awful disease (dementia) progresses, the more your loved one needs your fighting spirit.