Heart Hinge–Day Twenty-Five To all those Caregivers out there. Bless you.

Day 25

Written by Peggy

Caregiving. The spouse. The neighbor. The friend. The doctor. The other doctor. The specialist. The nurse, the receptionists, the person holding the door open, the children, the siblings, the church members. The grandchildren, beautiful music, the uplifting, meaningful TV shows…they all are part of it. The spouse who needs to remember which pills to give at what time, to cook differently, sleep differently. There’s the friend who brings apples because they have been happily received in the past. The other friend who brings tapioca because the person in need can still eat it, and he needs to eat. There’s the person who grabs 2 extra blankets because they can see he’s cold in a place where no one else is cold. There’s the person who asks the main caregiver how SHE is doing, as well as how he is. There’s the child who brings something he can do while he can only sit, the child who sends extra mail because she knows he looks forward to that walk to the mailbox. There’s the child who sees that he can’t go to the mailbox right now because he’s too weak, but hopes it’s not the last time because she knows the other siblings are planning a barrage of Get Well cards. There’s the uplifting television show because he really doesn’t have a tolerance for negativity anymore. The lunch group who surrounds the main caregiver. The daughter who knows how to move him with less pain, and to validate his pains anyway. The son-in-law who is leading the charge to finish the addition meant for the needy one to enjoy while he still can.
The nurse who greets him and his wife with genuine caring, knowing they wish they didn’t have to be there. The doctor who asks all about his writing, and says he’s a fan. Knows his name, his career, his contributions. The grandchild who watches “the big football game” with him. The teen who traveled an extra-long journey so he could spend his 16th birthday with his ailing grandfather. There’s the Scout whom he helped get an Eagle, who moved up his Eagle Court of Honor to be held during all the Christmas rush because he wants to give him a mentor pin before he’s gone. The child who brought water from a special creek and bought a special water flask because the person in need prefers cold water. The daughter who re-posted the picture of her beautiful bald head for him, because she’s been there too.  The husbands of his daughters, who just hang out with him, fix something for him, bring a special drink, rub oil on his back. Honor him. The daughter-in-law who makes the special pecan pie. The needy person himself putting water into the radiator though he can barely walk, because he wants to take care of the car for his wife.
The stranger who stops because he has fallen, and his family didn’t know it because this is the first time it has been that bad.

Thank You.  in shout, and in whisper. You. Are. Beautiful.