(Editor’s Note: Last week’s post, During Caregiving, Do We Search for a Way Out?, inspired this week’s post.)
The certainty of caregiving is its uncertainty. How much longer will this last? No one can definitely tell you. How much money do we need to cover all our caregiving costs until caregiving is over? No one can definitely tell you.
With so much uncertainty, it’s hard to image what could be certain.
What’s certain is you.
Here’s what I’m certain about you:
- You do everything you can to manage your caregiving responsibilities to the best of your ability. I never doubt your commitment to doing whatever you can.
- You do all you can to take care of yourself given how little time and resources you have available for your well-being. Yet, you do all you can.
- You are a wonderful resource for fellow family caregivers because you speak the caregiving language and you get how difficult the challenges are.
- You make the days better for everyone you encounter because you get how much the systems ask of so many.
- You have an important, meaningful future ahead of you. You haven’t lost it all to caregiving. You’re using your invaluable skills every day which mean you have insight, wisdom and knowledge that will deepen the meaning of all your tomorrows.
- You continue, just like the sun rises no matter how dark the storm clouds. Just like the sun hides during the storm, you take breaks, you throw a pity party, you hide under the covers. You are still there, though. Just like we see the sun after the storm passes, we see you.
- You change the conversation about caregiving by being here, by naming your struggles, by refusing to pretend it’s all fine. That matters.
What would you add to my list?
(Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay)
Resources
- Check out our caregiving programs that support and serve you.
