WEBISODE #1: Voila! – a Movie is Born

PROBLEM: Everyone is depressed and uninspired

SOLUTION:

Turn the crisis into an opportunity.  After spending months as a useless sobbing wreck, I decided to empower myself.  Based on the unique skill set I personally have, I decided to videotape our lives and put it to use to help others.  Of course, simultaneously caregiving, coping AND videotaping/editing is overwhelming, but the important part is that it gives me something POSITIVE to FOCUS ON!  Knowing that some good will ultimately arise from this ongoing tragedy helps me push through some of the bad days.

Create a meaningful project together. Recording my documentary means involving my father, and I remind him often that he is the STAR OF A MOVIE who is helping MILLIONS of other people!  This meaningful reminder inspires him and gives him purpose and confidence!  Brainstorm about something meaningful to your loved one that you could turn into a project together.  Simply ask friends and relatives to share photos for a scrapbook you’re going to make about their life; or record oral history of your loved one before it’s too late; or plant a garden in their honor – allowing them to help you with it for as long as they can, including taking strolls through it together; or collect sheet music of their favorite songs and make a music book from which you can later play them their favorite music; or make a cookbook of their favorite recipes – from which you can make them their favorite comfort food when they’re down, plus pass it down through the generations…  There are endless ways to celebrate their life by creating a meaningful project – with them or for them!

Voila! – a Movie is Born – VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Frank: Hi.

Joleen: Hi!  You’re having a good day?

Frank: Having a good day.  Yea.  Yep

Joleen: You weren’t having a good day maybe the last two days.  When we talked as a family two days ago, we watched that movie and talked about you being sick, you were sad.

Frank: Oh yea.  Oh yea.  Because I know what’s ahead of me and what’s ahead of the family and, most dear to my heart, what’s ahead of my wife, the stress, frustration that she’s going to have to go through.

Joleen: You said you felt empty and lethargic and on your run you just stopped after a quarter mile, and that’s so not you.

Frank: Yea.

Joleen: And I was talking to Jac, my best friend Jac, you know her, and she said, “You know, Joleen, with all of your skills and talent, you should be doing something with this that’s really from the heart.”  She said, “And the last five months have been focused on your dad’s illness and him being sick and the Alzheimer’s and the negativity and the end of things.”  And she said, “You have the power to turn it around and to make it a celebration.  A celebration of the strong wonderful family he and your mom have built over the years out of love, celebration of his accomplishments, and to celebrate him as a person and his ability to teach others and help others.  And turn it around.  Make that negative energy spin into something positive that will continue on forever.

Frank: Wow.

Joleen: You’re such a helper and you do so much for people, and I feel like you have to give that up right now.  And that’s not really who you are.

Frank: Nope.  And without that I’m a bit lost.

Joleen: Well, I have an idea.  It’s an experiment.

Frank: Okay.

Joleen: I would like to, as a Writer/Producer/Director, I would like to do a documentary of our family and our life, your life, and what you’re going through as you go through it, and I would like to distribute it to families in the future and help them understand what goes on with the family and the network, what goes on from someone with it in their head and their heart, like the true details to help people to deal with it.

Frank: Um, that’s awesome.

Joleen: And I think you can be a hero forever and ever.

Frank: Well, maybe I can give some people some hope or something like that, and certainly help them to continue their love for one another ever though it’s going to be a struggle.

Joleen: I just needed to come and help us do some good.  And make it seem like maybe there’s a point to your illness.  Maybe this is really for a reason.

Frank: Wow.  We could help other people.  Yep.  Where do I sign?

[KISS]

Frank: That’s it?

Joleen: Right there.

Frank: I’m signed up?

Joleen: Yep.

Frank: K.

Joleen: Okay.  Love you.

Frank: Wow.

[HUG]