Caregiver Peer Support - In Person...

Greetings,


We apologize for not writing yet in 2014; it has been a very busy year so far.  More postings soon, but for now, one important, recurring point.

Online caregiver peer support is great, but if it's possible for you, we suggest setting up an in-person caregiver meeting in your community. If you choose, include family caregiver supporters too.  It's up to you.


There's something about looking someone in the eye who understands, and nothing replaces a hug.  Pick a place, set a time, and whoever shows up - you can visit, talk, debate, and share.  If no one shows that day, give yourself the gift of quiet time.  We highly recommend it.


Caregivers and those who support them are exceptional people. In 2014, give yourself the gift of meeting other caregivers beyond the Internet. It's a very old Barbra Streisand song, but "People, people who need people are the luckiest people of all!"  Reach out and grow your in-person network through your community organizations, your churches, and your civic organizations.


Your heart and head will thank you.


 Linda Kreter and the VeteranCaregiver Support Team.

The Little Things Matter

You don’t ask for much for yourself, and you do so much for everyone else.  

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter when you’re a Caregiver. 

It’s the person in the grocery store line that urges you to go first because you have your hands full with a small child or two and a visibly uncomfortable veteran spouse.

It’s when someone you know writes you an “I’m thinking about you, how are you?” email, card, or posting.

It’s when a small child pats your daughter’s artificial leg and asks if she can still play soccer?

It’s a hug from a friend when no words need to be spoken, and you really needed that hug.

 

It’s when you’re in a crowd, things start feeling dicey for your family, and without a blink, a kind stranger guides you out to an open space.

It’s a callback, a referral, a resolution to a long-standing challenge, or an appointment that fits your schedule without juggling.

It’s when your son shows a glimmer of his old self; a remembered quirk, a breakthrough comment.

It’s a jug of wildflowers left outside your door with a note saying, “Sorry I missed you”.

It’s when someone offers you a flexible job because you clearly have it together and they love your work/life ethics.

It’s when you sit down and weep for what you’ve lost, and at the same time, you realize that you’re wiser/stronger/better than you were before.

It’s when your pet curls up beside you, simply because they sense that you need it.

And, when those small things occur, and you’ve noticed them?  You have become someone extra-extraordinary with a grateful heart.

Blessings and care,

Linda Kreter and the VeteranCaregiver Team