“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.” – Tia Walker, The Inspired Caregiver: Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love
Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to craft a holiday-themed blog post with little success. Regardless of what I came up with, nothing seemed meaningful or poignant enough for the season. That was until I read this quote about being a caregiver.
“Being a caregiver is a great honor but it’s also an incredibly stressful, ongoing experience. Still, it’s a privilege to take care of someone, especially someone who took care of you.” – Jim Gaffigan, actor and comedian, on caring for his wife Jeannie during her long road to recovery after suffering a brain tumor.
Powerful words from a man who’s known for making us laugh.
What those powerful words managed to do was remind me that being a caregiver is a full-time, year-round job. There are no holidays, no days off – even on a day so holy and revered as Christmas.
Caregivers (be it a trained professional or a compassionate loved one) are some of the most selfless individuals walking the earth. They are angels, not just at Christmas time, but all year long.
So, this holiday season, while we’re all shopping around for gifts which will soon be forgotten, remember the caregivers we’re blessed with and the amazing gifts they provide each and every day.
Yes, it can be a tireless, heart wrenching and even overlooked profession in a world which measures success based on financial gains and how many possessions we can amass.
But caregivers have the true meaning of Christmas in their hearts 365 days out of the year – sharing love, kindness and hope with others unselfishly. They deserve our warm wishes and our deepest thanks this holidays season and always.
I close with a quote by famed American entertainer Bing Crosby. “Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white”.”
Happy Holidays!