To an Exhausted Caregiver

#52

Friend,

I see you.

• I see you going every day over to their house to care for them.

• I see you calling and texting them to ensure they have everything they need.

• I see you grieving because your loved one isn’t who they once were.

• I see you tired because it’s hard to care for all the people you feel responsible for.

• I see you trying to do the right, gentle, and hopeful things.

• I see you advocating with doctors, nurses, and staff.

Being the primary caregiver is one of the holiest yet challenging human tasks. It is consuming. It consumes your time, your energy, your emotions, and often your finances. As the primary caregiver, you bear a tremendous responsibility, and with that can come many things.

Maybe you feel:

• Guilt- because you wish you could do more for yourself, them, or other people in your life.

• Grief- because it hurts your heart to see them this way. Or maybe you are realizing that you will never get the reconciliation in the way you hoped for.

• Grim- because the likelihood of them having good days is slim.

• Exhausted- because the demands of caregiving are stretching you to your end.

I wish I had the right sentence for you. I wish I had the right word for you. I wish I had the magical solution for you.

But all I have for you today is acknowledgment and gratitude. I see you and I’m thankful that you are caring for them and bearing the burden of another. It is truly a great and loving thing. If no one has told you this, I hope you hear it clearly:

Thank you.

Love,

Aaron

P.S. Need someone to pray alongside you. I’d love to do that. Just let me know here.