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by Donna L. McGibney (Author)
Caregiving is a solo journey lived among thousands of others who are walking a similar road. Each journey is unique because each relationship between caregiver and the one needing the care is one of a kind. The roots go down deep and hold all the experiences, feelings, joys and sorrows that have happened within that relationship. Many people are familiar with the journey, but no one knows day in, day out what a caregiver is experiencing. We often become parents to our parents, with no manual to guide us.
Well-meaning friends may say, "I know exactly how you feel," but they cannot know exactly. No matter how well they know you, your loved one, your situation, they do not know everything this caregiving asks of you, demands of you.
Caregiving is a journey filled with loving and grieving. The caregiving journey has many vistas, but only one exit ramp: the death of the loved one.
That is when the job we did not seek becomes the job we wish would not end.
This is the journey my mom and I travelled. I pray it gives insight and hope and assurance that being a faithful caregiver is doable. The operative word here is faithful; not perfect, not sorrow-free, but faithful. This is not a road map for you but a journal of our experiences. You will not travel the same road, but you may see some similarities. As you read this, you will hear tales of uproarious laughter, quiet times bent over a puzzle, lonely times, and frightening times. They are all part of living, loving, and caregiving. May you also find it so in your days as a caregiver. You can do this!
