Wisdom of the Wounded

The winter in Michigan this year has been harsh, with lots of snow and ice. On a particularly wintery day, my granddaughter Ashlee posted a photo on Facebook of her husband Nick clearing snow. Ashlee wrote, “That’s my man out there. He is clearing our driveway and sidewalks, and did our neighbor’s without hesitation.” She […]

Craig and Jan Hoffman are retired pastors. Jan says, “Craig and I were so blessed to serve a great congregation for twenty-two years. We were the right people at the right time! I wish all ministers and congregations could know that kind of ministry.” Jan reminds us that it can be easy to forget that […]

Editor’s Note: In any caregiving situation, we remind our readers to remember the Caregiving Basics: Pray, Listen, Respect the Grief Journey and Preserve the Dignity of the Person. This post is an overview of Respect the Grief Journey. Grief is a normal and natural experience by which a person makes a healthy adjustment to any significant […]

Our special friend Jim died recently. As I searched for ways to care for Melanie, Jim’s companion, and Jami, his daughter, I discovered a wonderful way to offer a caring gift for a bereaved friend. It’s called a “Laurel Box.” These handcrafted gifts are a unique way to show care, love and support for those […]

Ted Baxter suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on one side and unable to speak. Eventually, he was strong enough to visit his favorite coffee shop, but his speech was still difficult to understand and he walked with a limp. Ted recalls that many people were empathetic when they saw a man with a […]

By Christine MacLean A note from Karen Mulder: Christine shared this story with me during one of my speaking engagements at my home church, Hope Church in Holland, Michigan. It’s a lovely story about how one man’s love of music united a group of people to engage in a generous act of caregiving. My dad […]

Guest post by Robert Luidens Note from Karen: this wisdom was shared with me by Robert Luidens, a pastor with the Reformed Church of America. Bob recounts a day many years ago, when he met Janelle, a woman whose 10- year-old daughter had died suddenly after contracting a blood infection. I did not personally know […]

How can you make someone’s hospital stay more pleasant? Ted Baxter was 41 years old when he suffered a massive stroke. During his long recuperation Ted grew weary of the hospital’s antiseptic surroundings. One day, Ted’s wife Kelly brought some shampoo from home and helped Ted wash his hair. [Related: Caregiving Tips for Visiting a […]

Tears spilled gently from my eyes as I watched my 19-year-old daughter triumphantly cross the finish line of her first marathon. The emotions that whirled around in my head were so mixed: proud of her accomplishment but sad by what had prompted it and what it had come to mean. Six months earlier my husband […]

How does one communicate with a friend who has had a stroke and has limited conversational ability? That’s been on my mind ever since my good friend Ginger had a stroke three months ago. Ginger has Wernicke’s Aphasia which means she has damage in the areas of her brain that processes the meaning of words […]