On a See-Saw

I don't know, this life is exactly like being on a see-saw that is out of control. One day high up, next day low down. It is very hard to cope with the difference. Yesterday was brilliant, Pete doing his modelling again, but today, no good. This morning was fine, Pete did a bit more modelling and he put a CD by The National on, they are a very mellow band, and I got on with a couple of letters and read a bit - fine. Then I went out to get lunch from the kitchen and come back to find Pete in tears, why? I asked if it was about the modelling, yes it was, he doesn't think it is going well. For God's sake!! Told him he has been doing it two days and with his left hand so can't expect to be as good as he was immediately. He still wasn't happy - but I have told him it is amazing what he has done. I can only say that so many times, what more can I do to help him? After lunch it was staring at the floor time again, so went to do some exercises and then came back and read some more of the book which was extremely hard. (if you don't know who Edwyn Collins is, he wrote and sang the song 'A Girl Like You' , look it up on you-tube). We are reading about when he had his stroke, very emotional. Pete then did a bit more to his model - he is doing a pig now - but then after tea, back again to staring at the floor and he wasn't happy.
How do I cope with these swings in emotion? It seems to be getting harder with each day when he is down. I am running out of ideas as to how to cheer him up. Some times I feel I am either going to explode or implode. He goes quiet, I go quiet. If I am doing something he can't do then I feel guilty, especially if he keeps giving me sad looks. Do other carers of stroke survivors feel like this? Our world has got quite insular.
So, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, I can only hope (as I often do) that it will be better. At least I feel a bit better for writing this down!