No Fear
As a new year begins, I find myself a bit overwhelmed. Mary Addison broke her “good” arm and is more helpless than ever. Her seizures have gotten worse and she’s had several bad falls (hence the broken arm). To top it off, we lost our beloved caregiver to a job that...Overcoming Hopelessness
I think one of the most destructive emotions a caregiver can have is hopelessness. If there is no hope, why do we do what we do? And hopelessness is contagious. When we’re defeated and full of despair, our words and actions can be discouraging to everyone around...Riding The Storm Out
Our family lives on the East Coast, and we have been warned of a very big storm – a deadly hurricane, as a matter of fact – that is about to impact our lives. We have lived in this place a long time and been through many of these big storms, even a direct hit by Hugo....Going With The Flow
In my first 30 years, I was a “frequent flow-er.” I’d always look for the flow and go with it. I was relaxed about everything and just let things happen (even college and early career). Then real life hit – big job, marriage, mortgage, kids,...
The Latest From Mary
- Calm Before the Storm September 4, 2019We’ve prepped for Hurricane Dorian (downgraded now to a tropical storm) and we’re just awaiting her arrival. Our governor declared a mandatory evacuation several days ago. Our city has been gradually emptying out. Businesses are closed. Streets and beaches are empty. There’s nothing to do. Nowhere to go – just stay home, read, rest, talk, […]Mary Tutterow
- Perfect Love May 20, 2019You may have a hard time perceiving Perfect Love, but when you choose to believe Perfect Love is available, you will see the miraculous results of letting it fill and satisfy you as no other love can. We free others up to do a better job loving us. We put people in an impossible […]Mary Tutterow
- The Christmas Effect December 14, 2018Our daughter, Mary Addison, is now 26 years old. She is mentally and physically challenged. She has skills of a 12-year-old but enjoys the innocence of a small child. That being said, you can imagine her love of all things “Christmas.” (She and Buddy the Elf have a lot in common.) We start listening to […]Mary Tutterow
- Dodging Holiday Depression November 18, 2018The holidays can be difficult and depressing. Shorter days, gloomy weather, family chaos with everyone at home, and changes in schedules can intensify our challenges of caring for a family member with exceptional needs. The complaint I hear the most is, “Christmas and all its traditions no longer bring me joy. It’s just extra work […]Mary Tutterow
- You Are My Witnesses October 23, 2018A sweet friend that I met during caregiver small groups gave me permission to share it this you. Her mother has Alzheimer’s and is quickly declining, and my friend had been struggling with feelings of impatience and inadequacy. She confessed she’d had a “sit down” with God asking if He was sure He picked the […]Mary Tutterow
- Do Not Fear The Beast September 13, 2018My daughter’s seizures dramatically escalate with every big storm. Hurricane Florence’s scope is so big, there is nowhere within a 5-hour radius we can drive to get her out of the pressure. We resigned to just stay in Charleston and be near our familiar docs and hospital. Watching her seize with increased frequency and intensity […]Mary Tutterow
- Clearing Old Data September 5, 2018My website was recently hacked and infected with a terrible virus. My webmaster and hosting service eventually got everything cleaned up and back online, but when I typed in the address, I kept getting the same error message. It was so frustrating – they could see the new and improved, cleaned up site, but I couldn’t. […]Mary Tutterow
- Powerful Good from Terribly Bad July 22, 2018I was reading the book of Ruth in the Bible the other day. It really touched something deep in me I want to share. My mother died very young, before I had children. It seemed so premature and unfair, but like this story of Ruth, I have come to realize it wasn’t the terribly bad […]Mary Tutterow
- Life in Prison June 1, 2018When we realized that no surgery, no med, no therapy was going to fix Mary Addison – that this was our new normal – I felt like we’d been given a sentence of life in prison. To accommodate her daily seizures and her mental and physical challenges, everything about our lifestyle would have to change […]Mary Tutterow
- Life Changing Journey February 11, 2018You become a better caregiver when you realize what a gift you have been given to find out who you really are and what you are capable of — your power to love, the deep satisfaction that comes from humble service, the exquisiteness of fragility, and our marvelous connection with the Divine. It’s not about […]Mary Tutterow