From walking to driving in one day!
Just made it to Raleigh, NC for Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC) conference I have been wanting to attend for months! When I first heard about this event, Mitzi was still alive and I didn’t think it was going to be possible to come to this. Then, when she passed away and my schedule opened up completely, I wasn’t sure I could manage the financial obligation of the event. There were a lot of expenses involved, especially for someone who was now unemployed. Plus, there was the issue of my boys since my husband had no extra time he could be off work to watch them.
But you know what?
God took care of all of the obstacles.
A small group of truly amazing friends made it possible for me to afford to go…conference ticket, gas money, and hotel were all taken care of. On top of that, our sweet friend Nancy (she is our resident artist who designed our logo) offered to come along with me and hang out with the boys while I attend the convention. What a gift!
As I’ve said before, I have been completely enamored with Teepa Snow for years because I so admire the caregiving style she teaches and the way she “speaks” dementia so fluently. She is using her gifts and talents in this specialized field to help educate the masses on the best way to preserve dignity and treat those with dementia/Alzheimer’s with respect and love. In so many ways, she is who I want to be when I grow up. ????
To say I have been so excited about this opportunity to learn from her is a dramatic understatement.
I had wanted to meet Teepa and get to tell her in person how much I have appreciated what she does. I was standing in line to check in at the hotel where the conference is held. It was taking a while, so I wandered over to the conference rooms where I found a banner for the event. I took a picture to post later and walked back to the check-in desk. Another woman had walked up and taken my spot, so I had to wait longer. I was typing this post and looked up just in time to see Teepa herself standing a few feet from me. I smiled and introduced myself. Now I used to do a lot of theatre and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet my share of celebrities, but I have to say that I was almost a little awestruck to get to introduce myself to this woman I so admire! I told her one of my main goals was to get to meet her, so I guess I could save some money and drive back home now. She was awesome and insisted we take a picture to prove we met.
For at least the last 2 years during my time taking care of Mitzi, God has given me glimpses of what He had in store for me past Mitzi’s time here on earth. I have known, without a doubt, that attending this conference was a big part of the next phase of what He has for me to do as the story continues…stay tuned…the next chapter is off to a great start! ????
(PS: Check out her info and resources. Even though she created the GEMS model, she is truly a treasure herself! teepasnow.com)
