Hi Everyone,
I truly believe care giving and living through grief are best described as a mesh between running a marathon and venturing on a journey. Like most marathons or journeys, we wouldn't carry on unprepared, would we? We wouldn't say, "Let's just walk the forest at night, right here, right now." Would we? No.
I believe the more we thoughtfully prepare and care for ourselves as caregivers and members of the grieving community, the better we'll all be.
So here is a very short list of a few things in my own personal Care Kit:
1. Lavender Oil: My grandma said it would help me feel relaxed when I was stressed beyond belief and it does. One little breath at a time.
2. Exercise: For me about 30 minutes of power walking a day has helped me throughout my life as a caregiver and as a grieving parent. It helped...a lot. Asking my doctor first was a great thing, too.
3. In my grief: Carrying around something that reminds me of my son. It now brings me peace to see anything purple, his favorite color.
4. Meditation and/or prayer: Whatever works for you. Doing it consistently worked for me. Ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night...even though at first all I could do was try to stay awake!
5. Gratitude: Of huge help to me. The practice helped me to shift my consciousness from feeling sorrow or stress to being thankful beyond measure. I couldn't have imagined my life and all I learned from the journey with my son, even though it was (is) so difficult. Can you imagine your life without your loved one? Am guessing not.
Sending love, <3