Dear Chip:  As caregivers, we struggle enough with reality, so living in the hypothetical is never recommended.  That said, I love the way I play the piano now, I love the way I write, and I am grateful for the ways I’m able to speak to fellow caregivers …yet, I hate how I got here.  For me, I’m learning to be grateful for the journey, because it brought a texture to my life I wouldn’t have without those experiences.  I notice and value beauty I would have normally missed, and I see purpose in all of my journey …the purpose of me becoming a better person because of my path as a caregiver.