Managing Emotions: How Caregiving Shaped Debra’s life
Caregiver Tip: “Becoming aware and honest about the negative emotions, and then claiming them is the key to being able to change them.”
My tryst with caregiving began in 2014 when I had to take care of my moderately-impaired mother. It was definitely challenging for me as I was young. Though the physical tasks were easy for me to attend to, it was the negative emotions that I sometimes experienced, which got me down.
Over time, as I became aware of these emotions, I named them and thus, was able to claimthem. This helped me get past the feeling of being bogged down and look at the larger purpose of it all; the well-being of my mother.
Of course, there was a lot of hard work around it, but it was completely worth it as mom and I became a stronger team. And that makes me proud.
The experience also taught me to treasure the small moments; hosting a small gathering of friends and family gave us the time to cook together, which solidified our relationship even further.
Something as simple as going for a drive with mom resulted in some wonderful conversations that helped me understand her better and strengthen our bond as adults. There were times when the both of us were together in a store, I’d surprise her with something that she’d like, which would cheer her beyond compare.
All of this helped me find my purpose in life and resolve to become an advocate for caregiving. This experience shaped my life, for the better!
Later on, in 2016, I founded Advocate for Mom and Dad LLC, which offers solutions to the issues we face as our parents age, and we become their caregivers.
It’s great to live a life where I can pursue my calling.
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