When you read or hear the word full, what do you think of–I mean, the first thing that comes to mind?
Do you think of being full from a meal? Full of knowledge, full of love, compassion, full of crap?
Seriously. Think about that word for a moment.
This past weekend I was able to fill myself in a way that I never thought possible. I applied for a caregiver retreat in Kansas City, Missouri.
Yep. Nearly 5 and 1/2 hours away from home.
For a full weekend.
Having never attended a caregiver’s retreat, I had no idea what to expect. I figured I might shed a few tears, and I was right about that.
I thought I would meet some new people, and boy, did I meet some amazing folks.
I wondered how to prepare myself. What tools would I learn, what skills could I use to further my education as a caregiver? How would I define myself, how would I see myself in this group?
And I learned a lot about myself in the process.
I never saw myself as a caregiver, rather, it took some “ah-ha” moments to add that word, caregiver, to my vocabulary on a regular basis. In just a short time of dating, Sam had kidney stones, and one that was so large it had to be surgically removed. He was not a great patient, so I quickly became a caregiver: doing the cooking, the cleaning, going to class, taking care of him, making sure his medication was in order, making sure he took his medication and making sure he followed doctor’s orders.
Full plate?
Yes.
When we become full, sometimes we have to recharge or take a break. We don’t want to be overwhelmed or stressed out, but it can happen so easily and so quickly.
We may not know our role, and when we find it, we can shine.
I wrote a piece about being a caregiver. You can read that here:
https://walkingwithmemphis.com/2017/07/with-this-ring-i-thee-become-a-caregiver/
While I shared and learned from other caregivers this past weekend, I realized that I had a full heart. My mind became full of new knowledge and tools to continue on this journey.
I used yoga and deep breathing/meditation techniques. I even shared them with my students yesterday.
I gained pieces to the caregiver puzzle this weekend, and for that, I am incredibly thankful.
Please check out the organization, Caregivers on the Homefront.
I wrote about this organization back in March. Loving all of the work this group is doing!! Consider donating to them so they can reach more caregivers and families!
https://walkingwithmemphis.com/2018/04/my-favorite-things/
My heart is full. <3
#tribe