Everywhere I turn...
Submitted by susan on 2006, November 17 - 16:47.
EVERYWHERE I TURN I find I'm talking to--or overhearing--caregivers. It happens at dinner parties, in restaurants, on trains and buses, on city streets, even in the grocery store--and sometimes in my dreams!
As the editor of Caring Today, where we promise practical advice for family caregivers, I need to listen, hear the beat, catch the wave, meet the experts and gather ideas so that we can be "right on" for you. But, as I start this blog, I prefer to say something completely impractical.
Victor Imbimbo, Caring Today's president, and I often have interesting conversations. He may ask me why we are writing about a particular topic or covering a certain disease state. He might challenge me at times about my choices. I always have an answer; that's my job.
Lately, the conversations have turned to one thing I've come to believe about caregivers, my recurring theme, if you will: that I find caregivers intrinsically noble. You are honorable, magnanimous, principled, decent, staunch, dependable, loyal, faithful, good and fine. These are words we often weave into our articles--among those found under "noble" in my trusty Synonym Finder. I have said to Victor that this nobility is what drives me and will continue to drive the magazine.
So here, in my first blog entry, is my totally impractical message. As tired, confused or conflicted as you might feel at this moment--due to whatever your caregiving day has brought--I hope you realize just how noble you are. And I hope that thought makes you stand a little taller today.
Comments
The Nobility of Caregivers
Nobility seems an increasing rare commodity these days. With its implied idealism, it seems a remedy for much of what ails us. However, there are dangers even in too much idealism. History shows this in the failure of the League of Nations. Current politics shows this in our effort to implant democracy in a basically tribal foreign culture.
In caregiving, there are also risks in idealism. Put very bluntly, should the objective be the longevity of an elderly patient or the happiness and personal involvement of that patient? Sometimes the two objectives will conflict.
John T.
Caregiving for autism
The caregiving seems to focus mostly on the elderly in this forum and rightly so. There is also disability caregiving. I am the caregiver of an autistic child. He is now twelve and yes idealism can get in the way here too. I celebrate him all the time in every way and see the best and the worst of humanity through his eyes and experiences. This is a life-time caregiving experience. I would like ideas on how to involve the extended family more. He is involved in adaptive sports etc...yet I still feel fundamentally alone in this experience even though I know there are so many other families with a child/children with autism... I do watch and learn alot on caring for the elderly and it really helps. There are so many similarities.