Embracing Positive Caregiving Moments Makes Bad Times Tolerable

My nature is generally upbeat. I try to be grateful for my many blessings and not dwell on the negative. However, as a family caregiver, I’m intimately acquainted with difficult days and responsibilities that seem endless. Always aware that I love the people I’ve cared for, there’s still considerable stress and fatigue involved, to say nothing of an occasional pang of “what about me?” I’m assuming most of you can relate.

I’m also assuming that most of you if you think about it, have had some lighter moments while caregiving, or even some uplifting, life-enhancing moments never to be forgotten. I know I’ve had many. Some were chance moments that I could have missed if not for the exquisite timing that life occasionally offers us. Some came less spontaneously. And a few came during otherwise painful moments.

I’m choosing to consciously remember those moments. I hope you’ll take this idea and use it for your own. Make a list of moments that made you happy to be caring for a person you love or even a person you care for professionally. Remembering those moments can swing your attitude from negative to positive. Keeping a list may come in handy when that sweet attitude starts to sour. Here’s my own shortlist.

My neighbor Joe was in his 80s, a widower. He loved feeding the birds in his backyard. One day during my visit I said, “Joe, we’re getting you your own bird.” My young sons and I took Joe to a pet shop…

Continue reading on Agingcare for examples that have brightened my often challenging caregiving journey:

Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores

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