Lighten Up

1. 

   "Here is what I want to know:  Can we lighten up a little?" Elizabeth Gilbert
   
   

   Sometimes it may seem, as caregivers, we have the weight of the world and all its problems on our shoulders.  It can seem as if there is nothing funny or light or joyous in the world.  If that is the case, and I believe it will be from time to time for caregivers, then we need to have a break.  A respite from the task of caregiving.  How do you get breaks?  It may seem that if our loved one is in a care facility, then we would have all the breaks we need.  But that is not necessarily true.  We may feel that we need to work to pay for his or her care.  We still are the ones called when the falls happen.  We still need to make the best decisions.  In what way can you lighten your load?  For me, it is walks in nature and good conversations with true friends and time with my enchanting granddaughter.  Yesterday I went with her and her mother for her first haircut.  I love being a part of the beginnings of life --- they help offset the endings.