Patti Pilat Buono

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I Love A Motivational Quote!

Why are you reading my blog? No, really, it’s a serious question.

I think I have the answer already. Somehow you found this page, and you respond to the positivity and, dare I say it, inspiration you receive from my words.

I’m glad you’re here. Really glad you’re here.

So if, like me, you find strength and power and inspiration from the written word, I’d like to introduce you to one of my best, oldest secret weapons: A good quote.

For decades I have found solace, strength and power from words of comfort and advice that stem from other people. I’m sure you’ve noticed I quote Pop quite a bit on the page—he’s my absolute favorite. I’ve even taken this passion a step farther, and use quotes in my professional life as a teacher. If you follow my blogs about being an Adviser for a student organization, you will find information there about how we use quotes in competitive events to gain an edge over our competition, and engage more fully with judges.

It works. It really works well.

So, why not ascribe this tactic to The Job? Caregiving is a difficult, heart-wrenching and sometimes soul-sucking experience. We need all the inspiration—and the positivity—we can find.

Let’s use other people’s words and experiences to help us out.

Quotes Are Everywhere

People ask me all the time how I find quotes relevant to my current experiences, and there are several answers to that question:

Online sources – I require (yes, I said require) students to use a relevant quote anytime they are doing presentations in class. To help them, I present them with two quote sites that I’ve used extensively. If you are looking for quotes either by author or topic, consider the websites www.brainyquote.com or www.quotegarden.com. Both of these sites have tons of resources for you to start your journey. The end of this blog has several other topical websites for you to check out.
In books – Obviously, you’re a reader, because you found my blog! I, too, am an avid reader, and enjoy drawing quotes from the different things I read. Not only books, but magazine articles, online news stories and other blogs can provide a wealth of information for you.
The real world – I’m pretty fortunate to live and work alongside some people who can certainly turn a phrase! In my personal relationships, I’ve found a lot of inspirational things that have been said. The best part of these interactions is that I can recall the entire conversation and the context of the quote, making it more meaningful and inspirational to me.

Here Are Some For Those Extra-Difficult Days:

I’m breaking this section down into some bite-sized chunks, so you can go directly to the topic that will help heal your heart right now.

When you are too tired for The Job

Nurturing is not complex. It’s merely being tuned in to the thing or person before you and offering small gestures toward what it needs at that time. – Mary Anne Radmacher
I believe that most caregivers find that they inherit a situation where they just kind of move into caregiving. It’s not a conscious decision for most caregivers, and they are ultimately left with the responsibility of working while still trying to be the caregiver, the provider, and the nurturer.- Sharon Law Tucker”
Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, then worrying won’t make it any better. – Walt Disney
Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. – Emory Austin

When you need support for your relationships

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. ~Oprah Winfrey
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost

Sometimes it takes more courage to ask for help than to act alone – Ken Petti

When you need support for your decisions

The moods and actions of people with dementia are expressions of what they have experienced, whether they can still use language and recall, or not. ― Judy Cornish
In a dream you are never eighty. ~Anne Sexton, “Old,” 1962
The hardest thing about making a difference is keeping at it when there’s no clear evidence that you are. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com
Be tough…life is. In other words, there is no promise of a rose garden – Thomas J. Stanley

For When you need support as The Mayor

Embracing a healing presence requires you to just be in the moment together.” ― Nancy L. Kriseman,
You become strong, courageous, and confident through every experience where you must stop, face your fears, and do the things that you believe that you can’t do
I never look back, darling! It distracts me from the now.”— Edna Mode (The Incredibles)
It’s not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing – Mother Teresa

When you need to feel appreciated

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. – Leo Buscaglia
“The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.” – Walt Disney
If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader. – Dolly Parton

When you need to feel loved

I love you, but I have to love me more.” – Peggi Speers
You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think – Winnie the Pooh (Pooh’s Most Grand Adventure)
We remember their love when they can no longer remember – Anonymous
“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” — Hercules, Hercules
You must love and care for yourself, because that’s when the best comes out – Tina Turner

Some of my favorites for no reason

To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors. – Tia Walker
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. ~Author Unknown
“Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be…”― William Wordsworth

The Absolute Best Quotes For My Life:

There is a quote on my refrigerator that I absolutely, positively live by. It has absolutely no relevance in a blog about caring for elderly loved ones, but I’ll share it with you in the hopes that it might resonate with someone else: “The true value of money is not in its possession, but its use” – Anonymous. Told you it didn’t fit.

Or does it…replace “money” with “time”, and it is absolutely perfect for our discussion. This job can make beggars of us all—not just monetarily, but emotionally, as we watch our loved one fade deeper and deeper into dementia with its horrific symptoms. Time is really all they want from us, and all we really have to give. Unfortunately, money is my most easily replaceable resource, and time is the only resource we can’t acquire more of, which is why it is important for us to budget our time as carefully as we do our paychecks.

And now we’ve come to the final quote for this week. This quote, which I have lived by since I was a teenager, is really the culmination of everything I feel and think. About life; About relationships; About my place in the world. Maybe you recognize this Beatle’s quote, the only line in a beautiful song. I leave you with my favorite, my powerful quote, applicable to any occasion and situation.

I leave you with love:

“Then…in the end…the love we take is equal to the love we make” – The Beatles

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!!!

Wow! You made it! Thank you for reading about routine eldercare!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out part 1 of my Mother-In-Law story, here, or if you’ve read that, check out part 2, here! Or maybe you want to hear more about Pop, here. Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment with YOUR story! Any dementia stories? Let me know!

Please, feel free to contact me or leave a COMMENT with anything you would like to hear more about! Or reach out with any unrelated questions, comments, concerns, or random outbursts of excitement by clicking here.

Oh! And don’t forget to check out my video series by CLICKING HERE!!!

Motivational Quotes For Eldercare