Caregiving, you choose it time and time again.

It’s not always easy to say yes.

I had friends stay with me recently. On their last day I left them at my house, heading out to care for mom over the 4th of July. When I got home there was an amazing thank you note. Let me share part of it with you. It is how this article came to life.

“Running your own business is hard, running a business that is so personal is a calling and it’s exciting to witness you saying yes to this time and time again.”

These words resonate with me beyond Advocate for Mom and Dad as a business. They resonate with me as a daughter, as a caregiver.

Blogging about being mom’s caregiver IS very personal. I am grateful that my mother knows that I write about this journey and has given me her blessing. She believes that if we help someone along the way, then our struggles have meaning. Sharing our story is a calling for both of us.

But believing in something doesn’t necessarily make the DOING of it easy. Caregiving is hard physically, financially and emotionally. It requires that you choose this life as a caregiver time and time again.

• Every time something changes physically or cognitively for your loved one, you choose it again.
• Every time the process you had in place breaks, you choose it again.
• Each time your life is impacted, and change is required, you choose it again.

And honestly? There are times when it is harder than others to choose caregiving one more time. This statement in a Huffington Post article made me laugh and think “oh yeah”.
“The front door is all that stands between us and freedom and don’t think we don’t eye it.”

And yet, we do choose to be our loved one’s caregiver. The motivations for making this choice is different for each caregiver, each family member. But I suspect in order to say yes time and time again, for as long as possible, some things are universally true:

• We work hard at staying sane, on caring for ourselves.
• We work hard to surround ourselves with support peeps that give us perspective and allow us to vent.
• We work hard to preserve the relationship with our caree and have fun with them wherever and whenever possible.
• And we love them. Sometimes we may not like them, but we love them.

Some additional reading:
Six things successful caregivers do differently.
7 Habits of highly effective caregivers.

Disclaimer: The material in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace, nor does it replace, consulting with a physician, lawyer, accountant, financial planner or other qualified professional.

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