Rosalynn Carter said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”
While caring for a loved one can be a beautiful and rewarding season of life, few of us are prepared, and many are quickly overwhelmed, less by the difficulty of the tasks than by the heavy weight of sole responsibility.
We began having Caregiver Respite events like the one on April 10 when I realized I was doing funerals for caregivers before doing them for care-receivers. Not only are life-spans shortened by the demands of caregiving, but also quality of life can suffer from the physical demands and the sense of isolation.
What can the church do? First of all, we can be aware. When someone is discharged from a hospital, receives a diagnosis requiring long-term care, or enters a time of convalescence, our next concern should be for that person who will care for them. We can then say, “We see you, and we care!” and listen deeply as a prerequisite for any further support we might try to give.
Many heartfelt thanks to Deb Willingham, Gayle Brown and the rest of our hardworking Caregiver Team for a wonderful event! As we continue to learn how best to “care for those who care” we hope you will join us and support us with your prayers!
—Kyle Matthews, Minister of Pastoral Care