Self-care and self-love! I am working on the evolution of this for myself! My versions today include brushing my teeth, washing my face, getting at least seven hours of sleep, and two cups of coffee! It usually includes vitamins; before taking my mom in to care for her daily, it consisted of a lot more. A lot more freedom to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Now, if I am going to be perfectly honest, caring for people you love has its bonus rounds, and then it has the well, that really sucks moments. I have to remind myself daily most days, I no longer require my mom’s permission to explore and enjoy life. I am completely and utterly free! Now there are days I begrudge my feelings because I have been free, and taking care of someone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with not so much as a nap, is not always a picnic. The reality is that life will get worse, much worse for my mom, as she has lived in acute kidney failure, COPD, Asthma, diabetes. The list is long and doctors don’t have answers for why she is unrelenting pain! She cannot walk anywhere without assistance. Trips to the bathroom, which are four feet from her bedroom, are arduous. The reality is sharing the gift back to my mom is something that I have always wanted to do; I really had no idea at all how challenging it would be! It’s hard and leaves little time for “me” time. Every single day, I hope to hear my mom say, it’s a great day, no pain. So far, the pain has been every single day for her unbearable! So, I will say at the top of my list, caring for my mom means taking care of myself. That’s my self-care story, and I am sticking to it!
Forest of Words 