Tonight, I came across this beautiful article from agingcare.com regarding the relevance of Steve Job’s commencement speech to the caregivers of the elderly and the sick….. What can a caregiver learn from Steve Job’s commencement speech to the Stanford graduates in 2005 in Palo Alto, California?In one of the most poignant statements of the entire address, Steve Jobs  says, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” The beloved & belated Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, has caused many to recall the powerful messages contained in his commencement speech to Stanford graduates of Cupertino, California in 2005. His powerful messages transcend to the essence of life on the youth, on the adult and on the elderly– messages which transcend age brackets and demographics, aiming at the essence of human existence. What relevance does his speech have on caregivers? “Even people caring for an elderly and critically ill can benefit from being reminded of some of these life’s lessons—even though they came from the mouth of a man barely old enough to join AARP.” ”In his address, Jobs discusses three main concepts of great import to recent college graduates; death, love and loss, and the connectedness of life.” If you’re caring for an elderly person, then you are already intimately familiar with the fragility of life and the crushing reality of loving and losing your elderly or critically ill loved one eventually. For a caregiver, the most powerful element of Jobs’ speech is undoubtedly his message about “connecting the dots.“ During his address, Jobs discusses the hard winding path that led him to his current position and ultimately to becoming the most admired CEO & visionary of the world. In one of his most poignant statements of the entire address, he says, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” This point is as true for caregivers as it is for business moguls—maybe even more so at the end stages of  life. ”Caring for an elderly person is a task rife with pain and difficulty and, when you’re in the weeds, it can be impossible to see how things are ever going to work out….” Sometimes, a caregiver’s vision is blurred at the moment of insurmountable sacrifices, patience, acceptance of enduring the frequent unforeseen ups and downs of hospitalizations; the  tireless changing of diapers, giving loving massages, nursing duties, sleepless nights and so on….all these with utmost devotion and understanding, real kindness and love, and abundant amount of patience. It is during these difficult times—when a dementia-stricken elderly parent is hitting and screaming, laughing or crying at you, not recognizing who you are while you’re changing your “umpteenth” adult diaper— that “knowing the dots in your life will eventually connect” —is the most important and poignant wisdom to remember in Steve Jobs commencement speech. They may not connect in the way you originally envisioned your life to be on your graduation day. Your picture may have awkward lines, painful smudges, and obvious eraser marks, but the lesson is that when you look back and connect these dots, you eventually learn to see and appreciate the beauty of the whole picture; which is a freeing revelation for any caregiver. You learn to appreciate, feel the blessings and gain wisdom from all your hard work— Looking back at these dots you feel a sense of accomplishments, find meaning in life, gain a feeling of gratitude that somehow you have loved and made a difference in the end stages of your loved ones’ life as your elder parents…. Steve Jobs recent death has certainly touched the hearts of so many people around the world and has profoundly impacted my heart as well.  How true! How poignant that in the end, the “dots become clearer.” Thanks to  aging care.com on their insightful article regarding Steve Jobs poignant commencement speech and its relevance to us caregivers ………