The Journey That Matters

The Journey That Matters, which includes stories about caregiving, is a how-to and how-not-to manual for caregivers. It is the poignant, enlightening, and sometimes disturbing account of a mother and daughter struggling with the bonds of old age and infirmity. This book evokes tears and laughter, but most important it gives extra insight needed for the tough journey ahead. It stands as tangible proof that anyone going through this ordeal is not alone.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW FROM JANUARY 2016 MENSA BULLETIN MAGAZINE: Jodie Lightener has written a memoir with a purpose. She details the history of the last two and a half years of her mother's life. She watched her mother change from a vital, active and clear thinking woman to, after a stroke, a struggling nursing home resident. She wished she'd had a "how-to" manual, so she wrote one for us. Although she tells us about caring for an aging parent, the lessons she learned during those two-plus years are applicable to situations where one cares for a spouse, an adult child or a friend. She covers a wide range of issues in her eleven well-written chapters. And although the chapter titles are humorous, the chapters themselves are straightforward as she shares her experience dealing with the transitions in her and her mother's lives.