“With faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain top of despair, a stone of hope.” ~Martin Luther King This is a difficult and anxiety-producing time for many of you. If you’re a caregiver, you are likely stretched thin between family concerns and professional responsibilities, but no doubt, you are doing the…
“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” ~Unknown For myself, in this time of anxiety and uncertainty, I seek the Spirit’s peace. For the most vulnerable…
Forgiveness isn’t something we do for others, we do it so we can get well and move on.” ~Anonymous There is no peace without forgiveness ~Marianne Williamson “My dad was never there for me as a child, and now I’m supposed to take care of him!” “My mom is disrespectful and rude, and yet I…
“Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head like a brick. Don’t lose faith.” ~Steve Jobs “Faith is being confident of what we hope for, and assurance of what we do not see. ~Hebrews 11:1 2019 was a tough year for me with new health issues to manage, a major surgery, and, in…
“It’s not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing”—Mother Teresa Less than a month ago, I had major surgery. It’s been a scary, and disorienting time, and I have been impacted in ways I never imagined. The prayers, texts, notes, cards, visits, meals and other acts of love from…
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you’re waiting.” ~Joyce Meyer As a caregiver, most likely one responsibility you have is relating to doctors offices, hospitals, and insurance companies on behalf of your patient or loved one. This part of your role is often emotionally taxing. Recently, I sat on…
When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go. ~Alexandra Stoddard Two months ago I had a cortisone injection in my knee. Before inserting the long needle, Dr. K.told me to go to my “happy place.” My mind flitted from the seashore to the mountains, not landing on any one…
Let us remain soft and supple like the branches of a sapling. Whatever storms may come, our spirit stays flexible, not attached to outcome, nor uprooted by the gales. Rooted but not rigid, we can move naturally in the winds of change, bending but never broken. Adapted from The Caregiver’s Tao Te Ching, (2013) by…
A reader of my blog emailed me about a memorial service she attended recently that made a positive impact. She said five caregivers to the person who died were also present and spoke at the reception following the service: “The caregivers were not comfortable using a microphone, and were a bit difficult to understand as…
In my previous Tip of the Month, I addressed the topic of caregiver grief, and offered a few suggestions for coping, including the use of rituals. Now I’d like to expand a bit on the topic of rituals and ask for your input. What are grief rituals? They are symbolic actions providing meaning and comfort…
