Going to Church, but Avoiding the Members The exhaust from our 4Runner billowed like clouds in the sub-zero temperatures. Snow squeaked under my feet as I went outside to check the temperature in the vehicle. I felt chagrinned that we would drive less than a block before parking. Church was… Read more“A Near Truth is Really a Lie”
Tag: Kate Motaung
A Caregiver You Know Might Need This Book
Not Knowing That I Stood in Need When my husband miraculously recovered from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with Central Nervous System involvement I knew I should feel grateful and blessed. I did, mostly. But a heavy blanket of depression crept over me and sucked the color out of my days. I felt… Read more“A Caregiver You Know Might Need This Book”
The Cost of Caregiving: Losing Your Place
Caregivers Lose Their Place When Pedro received a non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis in the Spring of 2002, I had no idea that I’d joined a community that had no place to call home. Hundreds of thousands of family caregivers—from teenagers to octogenarians—belong to the community, but we often feel as if… Read more“The Cost of Caregiving: Losing Your Place”
Can Caregivers Find Comfort in Psalm 91?
It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote about Psalm 91 and the caregiver. In the intervening time, I’ve run a marathon, taken a marathon car trip (from Holbrook, to San Diego, to Holbrook, and then Tulsa, and finally to Palmer, Alaska). I have also taken on a different… Read more“Can Caregivers Find Comfort in Psalm 91?”
Self-Care for Caregivers Involves Learning How to Breathe
Self-Care for Caregivers Involves Learning How to Breathe To breathe or not to breathe, this is the question. I know, we all breathe, all the time; otherwise, we would be dead. But did you know that HOW we breathe plays a huge role in our health? During Pedro’s cancer year,… Read more“Self-Care for Caregivers Involves Learning How to Breathe”
How to Bring Joy to a Caregiver
Psst! Do you want to bring a little joy into a caregiver’s life? “How do I know if I know a caregiver?” you might ask. Good question. A caregiver is someone who bears the responsibility of taking care of someone who can’t take care of him or herself. Family caregivers… Read more“How to Bring Joy to a Caregiver”
What DO Caregivers Crave?
What DO Caregivers Crave? I locked the bathroom door behind me and hurried through my morning routine, keeping a wary eye on my watch. I had just five minutes until the room outside would fill with doctors and interns on their morning ‘rounds’ of the cancer ward. They didn’t actually… Read more“What DO Caregivers Crave?”
Don’t Judge People For Where They Park
Hating on the Cheaters Who Park in Handicap Spots I used to steam internally when I saw a perfectly healthy person park in a handicap spot. “What is WRONG with that person?” I would mumble. “Don’t they understand that they could get fined for parking there?” Of course, what I… Read more“Don’t Judge People For Where They Park”
An Open Letter to Those Who Sent Us Mail
To all the kind people who sent us mail during Pedro’s struggle with cancer; Thank you. I’ve saved each letter and card in a bulging file folder that goes wherever we go. I haven’t reopened the mail since you sent it, back in 2002, but each piece holds a special… Read more“An Open Letter to Those Who Sent Us Mail”
Five Tasks You Can Complete in Under Five Minutes
Putting Tasks Off Wastes Time I often feel overwhelmed by all the tasks I have to cram into a day. The house needs cleaning, the bills cry out from the desktop, and the refrigerator sits forlorn and empty. Make a meal? Ain’t got time for that! If you’re a caregiver,… Read more“Five Tasks You Can Complete in Under Five Minutes”
