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I lost my dad suddenly due to a heart condition. In staying with him through that, it was clear that my mom had dementia, so I moved from California to Alabama to take care of her. Caring for my mother as she slid into dementia was absolute chaos at times, but that was balanced by a lot of humor and beautiful connections that came as a consequence, both with her and others. Being with my parents as they transitioned to their next phase in the universe helped me to recalibrate and really understand my values. Setting boundaries became more important, so in addition to strongly valuing friends and family even more, there were a few beautiful disconnections as well. There are many ways to lose someone. Some naturally, some intentionally. And we can find beauty and humor in even the most challenging times.
Natalie Haynes
Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster. She is the author of The Amber Fury, The Children of Jocasta, A Thousand Ships, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020 and Stone Blind. Her non-fiction book about women in Greek Myth, Pandora’s Jar, was a bestseller in both the UK and the US. She has written and performed twelve series of her BBC Radio 4 show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics. In 2015 she was awarded the Classical Association Prize for her work in bringing Classics to a wider audience.
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