I was on the telephone with my friend Pat a principal of a school for children living with developmental disabilities. She is also a caregiver to her husband recovering from surgery, as well as her mother living with diabetes and heart disease.

 As we were talking, I heard a commotion over the phone and asked her what was happening.  She told me that some staff members came running into her office because an eight year old autistic student had seen a Dr. Seuss display in her office window while walking by and said, “I have Dr. Seuss at home too.”  This wouldn’t have been such a remarkable event save for the fact that these were the first words anyone has ever heard him say.  Imagine being witness to that.

An eight year old child’s first words, the flicker of recognition from a loved one locked within the dreamlike embrace of Alzheimer’s, the movement of a muscle thought long dead, these are some of the unexpected joys of caregiving.  A reporter recently asked me what was not depressing about caregiving. I told him that if you look into any caregiver’s heart you will surely find depression, fear and anxiety.  But you will also find compassion, love, joy, spirituality like none other and hope; lots of hope.

Just look at the ranks of family caregivers among the professionals working hard to help their fellow caregivers within their communities and around the world. You will see how caregiving has changed their lives.

Depression, sure there is depression, but there are also miracles and satisfaction that only someone who is or has been a family caregiver will ever experience.

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Sincerely,

 

 

Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com