Ten Days With Dad: Finding Purpose, Passion, & Peace During the Darkest Days of Alzheimer's and COVID-19 - Softcover

Resnick, Mark J.

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798985749410

Publisher: Mark J. Resnick Media, 2022

Synopsis

Ten days before my father moved into assisted living, he came to live with my family.
He had Alzheimer’s.
Neither of us knew what those ten days would cost—or give us.

What followed was not dramatic in the ways people expect. There were no grand speeches or tidy resolutions. Instead, there were meals eaten slowly, conversations repeated, silences that carried more weight than words, and the quiet realization that roles had shifted in ways neither of us had prepared for.

Ten Days With Dad is an unflinching memoir about caregiving and reckoning. It examines what happens when a son is asked to care for a parent while confronting unfinished business, emotional distance, and the reality that time does not negotiate. Set during the isolation of COVID, the story unfolds in ordinary moments that reveal extraordinary truths about family, responsibility, and presence.

This is not a guidebook, and it does not promise closure. It is a story about paying attention when life narrows your options and forces you to choose how you show up.

Readers will find reflections on:

• The emotional complexity of caring for a parent

• How identity changes when independence disappears

• The strain caregiving places on marriages, families, and selfhood

• Why clarity often arrives too late, and why it still matters

Alzheimer’s took my father’s memory, dignity, and autonomy. What it gave me was a deeper understanding of forgiveness, purpose, and the cost of love.

If you are caring for a loved one, processing grief, or standing at the edge of a life transition you did not choose, this book will feel familiar in the most honest way.

Ten Days With Dad is a reminder that some of the most meaningful chapters of our lives arrive without permission—and demand our full attention.

About this title

About the Author

I've always wanted to be a writer. Since the fifth grade anyway, when Mrs. Blake, my English teacher, encouraged me to consider writing outside the confines of her classroom. She put me on this path and I'm grateful for her kindness. I hope she is proud of my work, wherever she may be.
 
Growing up in Norwell, Massachusetts wasn't special, but sharing a house with my dad and two brothers was. Most of the time we didn't know what we were doing, both literally and figuratively, but we found our roles and fulfilled them the best we could. I've remained true to my middle child mold ever since, which has served me well more often than not.
  
Ten Days with Dad was originally written as a means to express my anger, disbelief and sorrow over my dad's Alzheimer's. It quickly became something much larger. Although the book is described as a memoir, it goes beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre-which, if you know me, makes perfect sense.
 
I currently live in Walpole, MA with Coleen, my wife of 25 years. We are in the throes of putting our kids through college and high school. From Richmond to Fairfield, and locally to Xaverian Brothers HS, we bounce back and forth, offering counsel as needed, encouragement when allowed, and nourishment-which is always enthusiastically accepted!
 
I invite you to visit and connect with me at  

Remember, it's never too late—or too early—to pursue your passion. 
 
-Mark

From the Back Cover

Within four years of his Alzheimer's diagnosis, my dad could no longer drive,
cook, or take his medications. When the dementia demons took over, he
couldn't stay in his home, either.

He spent ten unforgettable days with my family prior to moving to assisted living,
then a nursing home. We shared more than 200 meals, during which time I got
to know him---and myself---better than at any point in our lives.

Ten Days with Dad is a story about progress, personal growth, and healing, born
out of a terrible disease and a once-in-a-century global pandemic.

• Is dealing with a personal tragedy or caring for a loved one crushing your physical, emotional, and mental mindset?

• Do you let past regrets, grudges, excuses, and self-imposed limitations prevent you from achieving your goals, forging meaningful relationships, or finding inner peace?

• What are barriers are preventing you from becoming the best version of yourself?

• How can you find purpose, passion, and personal fulfillment in your life right now?

It shouldn't take Alzheimer's, a global pandemic, or a life-altering event to
jumpstart your personal transformation toward happiness, health, and more
fulfillment in the buckets of your life that matter most.

Because it's never too late---or early---to pursue your passion.

From the Inside Flap

Praise for TEN DAYS WITH DAD


"Authentic life-stories about grief, perseverance, identity, and relationships. Great insights on perspective and what it means to pursue your passions."

-JESSE ITZLER, entrepreneur, bestselling author, speaker, father, & an owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks


"Mark's superpower isn't ADHD, it's his writing. He goes beyond including the reader as part of the story---we are the story. It is our demons and our obstacles that hold us back from pursuing our passion or purpose. Bravo, my friend!"

-PETER SHANKMAN, entrepreneur, 5-time bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, & single dad


"Mark's story of grief, illness and uncertainty is as familiar as it is powerful. Really though, this is a story about family; what it does to us and what we'll do for it. This is an exceptional book that will stay with you."

-DAN WETZEL, Yahoo! Sports National Columnist, NY Times bestselling author, podcaster, and film producer

Edition details

• Publisher: Mark J. Resnick Media
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798985749410
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 258