Grateful for caregiving hearts

I am grateful for you out there, in the arena, with your caregiving hearts. Whether you are an essential worker, working from home or “on furlough,” you are giving. You hold the world together, one person at a time. We see you.

You are a caregiver.

You’re caregiving in homes

You are a mother guarding the hearts of your children, no matter their age, from teeny littles to adult.

You are a grandmother, yearning to hug hearts of your heart.

You are a mom holding it together at work and worried about your family at home.

You are a daughter watching over her parents. Whether they’re at home with you, in their own place near or far, or in a facility out of your reach, you’re checking in and encouraging.

You are a wife holding down the fort, either with or without your husband at home.

And you’re caregiving on the frontlines

You are a nurse soothing an anxious patient and worried family members.

You are a doctor assessing a sick person.

You are a grocery clerk, stocking shelves and smiling at checkout customers, reminding them that food is sustenance.

You’re caregiving online

You are a blogger, writing to encourage others.

You are a teacher, connecting kids to other kids and normalcy.

You are in the arena

You are in the ring. You are fighting for normalcy. You are finding hope and joy in the everyday. You acknowledge the difficulty, accept the unacceptable. And you stay in the fight.

“It’s not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the person who is in the arena. Whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly … who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly …”

Dr. Brené Brown, quoting President Theodore Roosevelt in her book, Daring Greatly

You are a giver. You see souls. You hold their hearts. In the midst of anxiety, despair and concern, you react with gratitude, peace, calm. You are a rock.

I am grateful for your caregiving heart!

May you continue to care for your dear hearts — with compassion, love and honesty. May God guide you in your efforts. And may you find time and space to refresh your own souls!