Journal Prompt

But I don’t need to write about that. Those are the well-practiced speeches you hear from caregivers everywhere. I’m here to say that there is more to those speeches, there is more to those caregivers, and there is more to this role than you can imagine, all sitting there unseen and unappreciated in the negative space.

10:43 AM: Cat walks over to where I’m sitting. Vomits.
10:43 AM: Mute microphone just in time. Nod, smile, look engaged.

In addition to the snarky tees, there’s the line of Zen master fashion. These shirts are like carrying Deepak Chopra in a Baby Bjorn on my chest.

Position Summary: The Caregiver cares for the patient’s medical, physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, social-emotional, financial, organizational, and dietary needs. Reporting to: This position reports to the patient, medical staff, the patient’s mother, other family members, friends, acquaintances, and everyone on Facebook. ESSENTIAL DUTIES: 1. Be or become an expert on the patient’s illness.

I feel like I’m drowning. Not like you would imagine, a lone swimmer bobbing along in the middle of the ocean, with no one for miles. No, I feel as if I’m drowning in a well-populated area.

Let me be 100% clear about something right from the start. You know by now that I’m all about how hard it is to be a caregiver and how we’re the unsung heroes. AND YET, I need to make sure that you know that I know that there’s a reason the patients are the Sung Heroes, which yes, is a

“Don’t forget to take care of yourself," they say, looking pityingly into my dark circle-ringed eyes. I see their Concern, Sincerity, Worry. But I wonder, Do they think it was a reminder I needed?

Years ago, I was convinced by my dear friend Samantha to sign up for an improv class she was teaching. At the scene work and character study I was awkward and inept, coming into my own only once as I played a drunk Southern belle. Nevertheless, from that eight-week course I took a phrase that has informed my work and

Discharged after 18 days, (13 longer than projected,) most of which were NOT due to the Seriousness

“For a lot of us, hope is a big topic right now, as we wake up every morning to fresh assaults on love, truth, and justice. I’m not optimistic about the future—but I’m hopeful. Optimism often means shutting one’s eyes to hard realities and taking refuge in wishful thinking. Hope comes when your eyes are […]