Daily Question, June 21 What has caregiving taught me? 32 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. Mica8 months agoMicaCompassion. In my present case, caregiving means giving my adult child the space they want from me. After weeks and weeks of going back and forth in my mind, “I should have…” “they should have…”, I’m now just in a place of compassion for their suffering. 0 Reply Sarah8 months agoSarahI have cared for my brain injured son, all his life, he is now 24 years . My son has taught me to smile at simply being, to beam! To never judge another (exceptionally hard to do at times) but through being judged, I know how destructive this is. Through caring for my sons needs, I realise how connected we all are, he takes me out of myself and into the realisation that we all need to collectively connect, with each other and with Earth. Caregiving takes me to extreme places, to the dark night ...I have cared for my brain injured son, all his life, he is now 24 years . My son has taught me to smile at simply being, to beam! To never judge another (exceptionally hard to do at times) but through being judged, I know how destructive this is. Through caring for my sons needs, I realise how connected we all are, he takes me out of myself and into the realisation that we all need to collectively connect, with each other and with Earth. Caregiving takes me to extreme places, to the dark night of the soul to places of absolute warmth and joy where I feel at one with everything. Read More1 Reply Malag8 months agoMalagIt gives me a sense of purpose and has taught me how important that is to me. It is challenging but the purpose and the growth in me and sometimes the growth in the person are rewarding. It has also taught me not to expect a pat on the back. 2 Reply Sam8 months agoSamThe importance of listening and remaking present no matter what. 1 Reply devy8 months agodevyCaretaking has taught me love and compassion, putting the needs of those who need help over my personal ones and develop empathy skills for others. 1 Reply Lioness8 months agoLionessTo embrace the time given to us. 1 Reply Dusty Su8 months agoDusty SuThree main things: Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible. --Tia Walker 1. As today’s quote says, it has stretched out places in my heart for great love. A type of love I never knew possible. 2. Through being a driven caregiver for decades I have had to learn the hard way that self-care is of the utmost importance. 3. By being cared for I have learned to receive and know that I am worthy of love. That within each one of us resides a non-dualistic sacredness ...Three main things: Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible. –Tia Walker 1. As today’s quote says, it has stretched out places in my heart for great love. A type of love I never knew possible. 2. Through being a driven caregiver for decades I have had to learn the hard way that self-care is of the utmost importance. 3. By being cared for I have learned to receive and know that I am worthy of love. That within each one of us resides a non-dualistic sacredness that survives and thrives on connections with the parts of us that lives in others. This by far has been the hardest lesson of all. Read More6 Reply pkr8 months agopkrRemembering “it’s not about me”. Unconditional love, patience, kindness, compassion, listening. 3 Reply Hot Sauce8 months agoHot SaucePlaying with my little cousin has taught me to come to other people’s level in accordance with their needs. I spent several hours pretending to be a gorilla and experiencing being a child for a short time. In order to care for those we love, we must do our best to come to the level of those who need the care. 7 Reply 8 months agoHaha, I see you ??? 2 Reply Ed Schulte8 months agoEd SchulteTo observe, watch for the trivial interferences personal egoism will try to use to interfere with what REALLY requires doing. Stay vigilant but without tension/ stress / etc / so one can “listen” and “feel” for what the invisible, powerful intelligences are continually instructing wrt right actions to take. Otherwise, patiently stay out of their way while THEY do what is [karmically] the balanced action required at any given moment. Obviously ....I just am simple repeating { w...To observe, watch for the trivial interferences personal egoism will try to use to interfere with what REALLY requires doing. Stay vigilant but without tension/ stress / etc / so one can “listen” and “feel” for what the invisible, powerful intelligences are continually instructing wrt right actions to take. Otherwise, patiently stay out of their way while THEY do what is [karmically] the balanced action required at any given moment. Obviously ….I just am simple repeating { with added words } Brother David’s “Stop, Look, Go”. as it is applied to caregiving. Read More5 Reply Linda8 months agoLindaPatience. Love. Compassion. Being there for my husband through the good and the bad days. 4 Reply Skeeter8 months agoSkeeterThat we are all one. It helped me to redefine strength and to understand the timeline of life as a relative continuum. 3 Reply Debra8 months agoDebraHow much I am able to receive from the ‘cared for’ and how much I am able to love , give and provide with Spirit’s guidance. Truly, magnificent. 5 Reply amacord8 months agoamacordBeing a caregiver or performing acts of service to others is really a gift to me. We are in this life to share our energies, hopes and resources with others. When we approach our final act, all the trappings of success, material wealth and possessions really mean nothing. How did I perform as a child of a loving God during my brief time on this earth? The gifts and spirit we each enjoy are meant to be shared with others...family, our pets, the people we know and the people we will never met...Being a caregiver or performing acts of service to others is really a gift to me. We are in this life to share our energies, hopes and resources with others. When we approach our final act, all the trappings of success, material wealth and possessions really mean nothing. How did I perform as a child of a loving God during my brief time on this earth? The gifts and spirit we each enjoy are meant to be shared with others…family, our pets, the people we know and the people we will never met. And we must apply caregiving to our own wellbeing. Be brave, be strong, do what you can. Read More3 Reply Present Moment8 months agoPresent MomentHumility. That no matter how needy another spirit may be the core of divine light remains at their center 5 Reply Michele8 months agoMicheleCaregiving has taught me that I really love being a mom. One thing I feel I’m good at is caregiving. I find joy in it. Despite a divorce from my kids father and an unexpected separation from my ex gf of 6 years, I know I was a good caregiver. I enjoy doing all the little things(leaving surprise love notes in coffee cans for example). Taking care of your loved ones, showing affection, being a good listener all make up the person I am. I am grateful. 4 Reply Debra8 months agoDebraMichele: Beautifully expressed. Thank you. 1 Reply Howie Geib8 months agoHowie GeibCaregiving has taught me how easy it is for me to get it wrong. It's like walking a knife's edge each moment, for the demands of the other can become unbearable or in an instant shift to something positive like a path to being wholly human. My heart needs to be shepherded almost all the time, so, in a sense, it is a boot camp for developing an internal mind-heart collaboration that can be so productive and conduits for grace....or, not. The alternative being a pressure cooker for resentment, vic...Caregiving has taught me how easy it is for me to get it wrong. It’s like walking a knife’s edge each moment, for the demands of the other can become unbearable or in an instant shift to something positive like a path to being wholly human. My heart needs to be shepherded almost all the time, so, in a sense, it is a boot camp for developing an internal mind-heart collaboration that can be so productive and conduits for grace….or, not. The alternative being a pressure cooker for resentment, victimhood and bitterness. I have modeled both dispositions and come away utterly humbled at the depth of commitment it requires. God bless the caregivers. Read More3 Reply Maria8 months agoMariaPatience, unconditional love, appreciation and selflessness 3 Reply 8 months agomainly caregiiving has taught me how dualistic my approach to reality is. signs are – beside all the good that is done also – that I have expectations, resulting sometimes in frustration, and a tendency to burn out. so the jewel in all that is an urge to find a way of caring / caregiving that transcends my dualistic perception of me and the world around me. then, I imagine, it would become utterly natural and genuine…. 4 Reply Present Moment8 months agoPresent MomentLove this 1 Reply Howie Geib8 months agoHowie GeibYes, it is this dualism that was foreground to me as well as I reflected on this question this morning. That for articulating it so well! 2 Reply Pilgrim8 months agoPilgrimFrom the perspective of being given care, I have learned and been so very grateful for patience, adaptability/creativity, generosity, kindness, humor, humility, acceptance, and commitment. 8 Reply 1 2 Next » My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A. DONATE https://gratefulness.org/content/uploads/2015/03/GX-Gold-Participant-L.png Community Engagement Guidelines Privacy Policy [email protected] Connect with us on Social Media: © 2000 - 2021, A Network for Grateful Living Website by Briteweb