Caregiving comes full circle

I recently discovered this quote from Rosalyn Carter and found it truly profound:

“There are only four kinds of people in the world – those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.”

That’s very true. Most people will find themselves being a caregiver or receiving care at some point in their lives. Yet I feel we have not come very far as a society in our caregiving skills. It seems like many of us wake up one day to a nightmare and spend a great deal of time scrambling to get the situation under control.

For some people with nurturing souls, caregiving comes naturally. For others of us, we feel like we have been dropped on another planet. Physically, emotionally, mentally it is often the most difficult jobs of our lives.

But with every caregiving challenge, there are lessons to be learned. With Dad, I learned that when caring for someone with dementia, being present, even when you are not recognized, is a valuable gift.