Braver Than You Think

1. 

   "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."
    A.A. Milne from Winnie the Poo
   
   

   I am surprised when I hear people talk of how many people say they will not go to nursing homes to visit.  That was true of me, too, many years ago, but after visiting an assortment of relatives in nursing homes over the years, I am no longer uncomfortable.  Except that I never know what I will be dealing with when I arrive.  My loved one varies so much in lucidity and in mood, that I never know "who" I will be visiting; but I try to keep the same routine so that he knows what to expect.  I bring home baked cookies or a treat of some kind, I cut and clean his fingernails, I read him the newspaper or any letters he has received.  There is comfort in the routines.  We who are caregivers are braver than we believe we might be, stronger than others (and ourselves) may assume, and smarter that we give ourselves credit for.  Just being a caregiver and showing up consistently and lovingly in our loved one's life takes courage and strength.  Give yourself credit for how well you do.