Amongst the idle heat of day, a calm yet brisk wind stirs the warmth, introducing an early-morning refreshing breeze onto the land from the majesty of the ceaseless sea.

How blessed we are to be able to share such beauty with such beautiful people.

There is so much we have learnt, a learning that seems to have no end. As we gaze into the distant horizon, we realize with great appreciation, the way dependent children realize they are safe and cared for, that our love cannot possibly be emptied. While it is possible to close the door to the hearth of the heart, it is not possible to empty a cup that has no boundary. This is because the love that we express, the love that I express is not my creation, for I am not it’s creator but am simply put its cultivator. Tending to the burning embers of a fire that has its circumference nowhere and yet, has its centre everywhere. At the Jura Care Village, we work continuously in this endeavour, cultivating living memories within our residents, fuelled by the offspring of love. Bearing the gifts of joy and peace, laughter and tears too, wrinkled smiles and bright round eyes.

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Auntie Joyce watches the sheep grazing away, listening to the peaceful sound of the ocean ahead.

And even so, the path before each resident stretches narrowly before them. And all we can really do is hold up a lantern beside each of them, shining forth with the life of our love. Reassuring, comforting, soothing. There are times when we stand inhibited by the tormenting reaches of the illnesses of the mind. Seldom for them because the minds of our residents perceive not their own inability, but for us, the caregiver, the family member. We are the ones who bear witness to their unusual behaviours, speech, emotions, perceptions and manners of expression. It may surprise some by reading that the treachery of Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia on the mind can be so severe, that in one moment a resident will be eating a deliciously nutritious meals and the next moment, as soon as they get up from the table they tell you; “Oh, I’m so hungry. I haven’t had anything to eat today.” That left unattended, a resident might eat and not stop until their stomach begins to ache and they vomit as a result of binging.

That is where we come in. A specialized Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Village that provides 24 hour care to our residential family in a remarkable place on Earth. And as we continue to learn through the mediation of compassion, we build not a relationship between carer and resident but a family union between beating hearts.

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