Opening hearts to our elders, family, and the treasures of life

Hi friends,

Today I want to share a story that’s close to my heart the moment I discovered what it truly means to experience a love without walls.

For me, working with people who have dementia and Alzheimer’s has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. These beautiful souls have taught me that love can exist beyond memory, beyond words, beyond anything we understand.

When someone’s walls come down when the parts of their mind that filtered or hid their emotions fade away what’s left is their pure, raw soul. And when you love someone in that place, you experience a kind of love that’s unfiltered, unguarded, and absolutely divine.

I often tell people that when you love someone whose memory is slipping away, your own walls start to fall too. You begin to love freely, without judgment, without fear. You stop trying to fix or control, and instead, you just love. And in return, they love you right back with a purity that changes you forever.

I remember the day I realized this truth. I had been struggling for weeks trying to name my book. My team kept saying, “Coleen, we need a title!” But nothing felt right. I prayed, I waited, I thought and still, nothing.

Then one morning at work, I saw my sweet angel, Lois, waiting for me. I went straight to her, wrapped her in a big cuddle bug hug, kissed her forehead, and told her how much I loved her. And as I held her, it hit me this is what I do every day. I love these people without walls.

The words came so clearly in my mind: “A Love Without Walls.”

I froze, smiled, and whispered, “That’s it.” That was the name I’d been waiting for.

Later that week, my husband and I were sitting in a little Mexican restaurant in town. And right there, in the middle of lunch, I felt something stirring in my heart. It wasn’t just a thought it was a calling. I heard it so strongly inside: “I want you to write a book.”

Now, I’ll be honest I’m not what the world would call “qualified.” I didn’t finish high school. I was in special education. Writing a book was never in my plans. But I looked at my husband and said, “Bear, I think God is telling me to write a book.”

He smiled and said, “Well then, write a book.”

And from that moment on, doors started opening. People came into my life to help. Words poured out of me like a river I didn’t even know was there. It was as if God had unlocked something that had been waiting all along.

I truly believe this is His work not mine. He loves His elderly children so deeply, and maybe He just needed someone willing to tell their stories. Someone who sees them not as patients, but as treasures full of light, wisdom, and love.

So here I am, following that calling, learning to give and receive a love without walls and hoping that through this blog, you’ll be inspired to open your heart and experience the same kind of love.

With love,

Coleen