One's Own Perspective

"I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.  Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. " Thoreau in Walden

I am re-reading Walden because I, too, live in the woods, and I, too, am choosing solitude -- in my case to heal from times of over responsibility.  There are many ways we can transverse the interior journey.  Thoreau cites examples of people chaining themselves to trees, or sitting facing the sun, or enduring other physical hardships to do a sort of penance.  Thoreau says that none of these are more astonishing than the examples he daily witnesses in his life near Concord.  I would agree with Thoreau:  none of the cited examples are more astonishing than what I see in the daily lives of my fellow caregivers -- who dig deep within themselves to do the right thing. 

It is sometimes interesting to me that I receive some criticism from people reading this blog who feel I should be less personal; while other people will react to the same blog writings and tell me they don't think I am personal enough.  My own life, my own reaction to caregiving is all I can relate.  My hope in relating my experience is to provide information and support to others in caregiving situations.  It seems important that we acknowledge the hardships of caregiving.  Perhaps you do not believe in the need for penance, and I am not advocating that one should.  But, I do think we can look at our daily lives -- and in the case of this blog that daily life involves caregiving tasks -- and choose to become better persons as a result of it.  This time will pass, of that we can be assured.  Will it pass with us being persons of more maturity and compassion?  That is our choice.  I believe that it takes some self reflection in order to make that choice.  I love Socrates's line, "An unexamined life is not worth living."  I agree.  We benefit when we examine our choices, our actions, our words, our motives, and that is one of the things I hope to support with this blog.  Lives lived from loving examination.