Care giving poster child? I don't think so.

I'm trying to think spring but it is another chilly morning here on the Gulf coast and I'm wrapped in my warm robe with socks on.  My poor azaleas are scared to bloom any more since they put out some blossoms earlier only to get zapped.  There is a lovely dove cooing outside my window telling me I should notice the sunshine at last.

This week is filled with care giving stuff and it makes me question what I'm doing.  I don't want this to take over my life completely.  Once a month I go to a support group at a local hospital which really feeds my soul and I look forward to it.  It is a small group of men and women who are caring for someone in all stages of dementia and Alz.  It is so supportive and is so helpful in putting things into perspective and yet looking forward to what is ahead.  That was yesterday morning.

Last night I went to a class called Tools for the Caregiver.  It focused on taking care of the care giver and how to stay positive in this experience.  I needed to hear that as some days are really frustrating.  But I had to laugh...one suggestion was to leave post-it notes with positive messages around the house.  I can only imagine where those might end up as hubby travels from room to room.  Above each one I would have to put another note saying "Leave the note where it is."  And that probably still wouldn't work.  But the class is good with an interesting workbook and each week we are to write out a plan of action to do something for ourselves.  Mine this week is to clear out the hall closet with my sewing stuff so I can go back to sewing some stuff.

Saturday is the Care Partners Conference at another local church.  Holy moly!  This is where I begin to question myself.  My goal is not to become the poster child for caregivers.  I don't want to spend my life talking about it, learning about it.  I want to do a good job because I love this man with all my heart but ...yeah, BUT!  

I know, this is unusual that all this is going on in one week and it will be months before the next conference BUT am I getting burned out on talking about it?  

But in the meantime I'm taking hubby out to lunch and then to Great Decisions group this afternoon to talk about Turkey's challenges.  He enjoys it, doesn't always remember it but so what!  To me, this is real care giving.  

And THEN I'm going to go to Book Lovers Club tonight and talk about The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout and eat some yummy food prepared by someone else and hear the wonderful wisdom of these wise, wise women who went to hear Strout speak on Monday.  I'm going to forget about all the things at home that aren't getting done.  I'm taking care of me.