'Do not let what you cannot do interfere wth what you can do," is a quote from famed basketball coach John Wooden. But it is also the coda to a caregiver's way of life. It is one of the many inspirational sayings that caregiver BJ Smith relied upon to get her through the seven years she cared for her mom as Alzheimer's disease ravaged her life. Smith compiled many other powerful epigrams into a inspirational quote board that she relied upon to get her through her toughest situations as her mom's caregiver. Just Breathe! is an empowering book that collects the most insprirational and memorable sayings into one moving resource. The title comes from Smith's highly stressful but ultimately liberating experience in becoming her mom's primary caretaker. "Breathing seemed to be the most difficult act for me to do as I cared for my mother," writes Smith. "My mother fought for a life and family she loved and cherished just to watch it slip away day by day into a dark abyss." After her mother's initial diagonsis Smith vowed that she would live bravely in her mother's world of Alzheimer's and save her tears and her breakdowns for her husband and family. To power herself through her long day and nights, she began keeping quotes posted on a dry erase board with sayings from poets, leaders, actors, and visionaries ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Gandhi to St. Francis of Assisi. While the quotes will provide a profound source of motivation to anyone who has found themselves unexpectedly caring for a sick loved one, the book's most moving sayings come from Smith herself. "As a caregiver you lose a part of yourself when taking care of a loved one," Smith writes. "But if you look at your world a little differently, you will see what you have gained on your journey is astounding."
