“A life lived that is so empty that a person could not find a friend or other soul in a similar situation to move in with and split the bills is a sad statement about the misplaced priorities of our culture.”
My mother had friends but they are dead. I guess their priorities were shameful.
Your last statement is terribly bitter. This is what government does to people. It is best illustrated in the old Soviet Union, a dark and gray place where everyone had “a job” that provided a meager ration that you waited in line for. Welfare sustains a spiritual poverty with no encouragement or mentoring to change the condition. It discourages people from making connections with other people who love them.
Your mom can meet new people but I am glad that you are there to help care for her. Hopefully, you do it with a cheerful heart and in appreciation for what she did for you many years ago.
You sound a lot like a former President:
"The lessons of history … show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit."
That President was Franklin Delano Roosevelt
LOL My last statement wasn't a reflection of my emotions it was a reflection of your logic.
I am hardly bitter at all. In spite of the difficulties and the sadness that go with helping my Mom deal with Alzheimer's this is one of the most touching and rewarding experiences of my life. We were always close but the bond has deepened tenfold now and I am more than a little aware of that.
No, my Mom cannot meet new people. Not in any meaningful sense. She is embarrassed at her loss of cognitive powers and doesn't even like to have other family members visit. She spends her time doing crossword puzzles and has trouble with that even though she looks at the answers in the back.
You really think that people just have unlimited resourcefulness don't you? Reality is going to hit you like a freight train some day.