Can A New Normal After Illness Still Be A Good Life?

If I let myself, I could spiral to places no one should ever have to go. The truth is, being a caregiver is just too unpredictable for my tiny lizard brain. And if I’m not actively managing my intrusive thoughts with ‘healthy’ coping mechanisms – therapy, writing, sharing with people who love me/us, and accepting […]

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Caregiver Emotional Labor: Work Nobody Sees

Being a caregiver isn’t all glitz and glamor, y’all. Sometimes, it’s hard work! And yes – the more obvious “work” is the physical labor associated with taking care of another human. Something less obvious is the emotional labor we’re dealing with too. Who would have thought that thinking so hard could be so traumatic. So, […]

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Who He Was, Before

If you met us today, you might not know that my husband has a Masters Degree in Trombone Performance. If you met us today, you might not know that my husband lived and worked as a music teacher and band director in Michigan. If you met us today, you might not know that my husband […]

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So the Hard Days Aren’t All They Remember

One day, in the distant or not to distant future, our kids may decide to read through this blog. They know I’m a writer, they’ve observed me writing for the blog, and they’ve both scrolled through my images on IG and FB where I post links. Admittedly, I always try to write with them in […]

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I’m Here for a Good Time, What About You?

It’s been a while, huh? I wish I could say that I was back with some pep in my step, or flounce in my bounce – but the truth is that this (gestures broadly), living this caregiver life, has been difficult. I’ve been busy, distracted, and exhausted. What’s that saying – I’m here for a […]

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Practicing Gratitude is my Caregiver Bliss  

It’s true what “they” say – that for some, it takes a life-altering experience to connect with our sense of gratitude. Being thankful is surface-level appreciation. That’s not what I’m talking about.   I’m talking about the feeling of fervent appreciation for your still living parents, after attending the funeral of a friend’s mom or […]

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How We Reduce Expectant Disappointment

When we solidify plans to do something fun, our very first impulse is to share that information with our kids. More than anything, we love to see the joyfulness they exude when something delights them. We want to share every bit of happiness with them – because we adore them and they are at their […]

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How we try to mitigate the emotional toll of childhood caregiving

To say that I have the best children in the entire world is an understatement. Because I do. I think most parents have moments of clarity where we recognize that our children are incredible human beings, becoming who they are meant to be right before our eyes. You know, between the sleepless nights of babyhood […]

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This all feels familiar – and it isn’t all bad

Caregivers will tell you that for us, living through this pandemic is oddly similar to the way we live our regular lives. Caregivers are acutely aware of how the world around us may impact the health, well being, and safety of the people for whom we love and provide care. For some of us, it […]

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Why We Celebrate Every Trip Around the Sun

To say that the holidays were a roller coaster of overwhelmingly wonderful busy-ness is an understatement. We hosted thanksgiving, which was followed by a series of “hosting” for the holidays. My wonderful parents visited with us from mid-December to mid-January and my brother, his wife, and their perfectly perfect 1-year old son visited for a […]

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