Well, today was another day taking care of mother and taking her to her doctor's appointment for her weekly chemotherapy appointment.
As I had blogged before
http://activerain.com/blogsview/298734/Caring-for-Caregivers on 12/06/2007
http://activerain.com/blogsview/419709/Here-we-go-again on 3/12/2008
I wanted to take care of some of the other caregivers I came across while taking care of my mother at the oncologist doctors while she was getting her chemotherapy.
Well, having had my first transaction close through escrow and with a little cash in my pocket. Today, while mother was getting her infusion, I walked about a mile down the road the the Starbucks at the corner of Lake Chabot Road and Castro Valley Boulevard.
I ordered myself a vente mocha with whip and not too hot. I also purchased a gift card for a caregiver back at Dr. Darosa's office. It didn't matter who the care giver was, I just wanted the card to go out to a caregiver.
When I got back to the office, I jotted down a little note about taking care of caregivers and how they could use a break every so often. I explained that I am also taking care of my mother and that they should enjoy a break on me.
Well, I handed the card to nurse Susan and she took the task of giving it to a caregiver. She wasted no time and gave it to a young lady who was taking care of her father in the other infusion room at the other end of the office.
Well, a few minutes later this young lady popped her head into the doorway of our infusion room to thank me. We (mom and I) invited her in for a nice conversation. She is going through the same thing that I am. She too is a middle child taking care of the parents. She too also has two brother, neither of which is actively involved in taking care of their ailing parents. She was very greatful in getting the gift card and she said that she sure could use a break. I explained my sitiuation and that I totally understood where she was at in this point of her life. I told her every so often to just take a deep breathe and count slowly to 10 and let the stress out.
I feel that I did good and got some good kharma out into the universe. I will do the same again next week when we go back to the oncologist for that weeks infusion. I will try to make other people's life better.
Hopefully, it will all come back to me later when these people need to sell or buy they will remember that nice realtor in the chemo doctors office that gave them a nice break from the stress of daily caregiving for a loved one.
I have followed the secret and this has got to come back as some good in the future for me. Everyone if you can pray for my mother that would be cool too.
Have a great day
As a caregiver for a mother with deminta I know all to well how nice a break is. Even though mom is now in a nursing home I feel guilty when I don't make the trip to visit her a few times a week. This weekend my brother came up for visit and gave me a weekend off which I really appreciated.
I will pray not only for your mother but also for you as well! I have been there with my wife and thank god for all the prayers we had that we got through it! Keep doing what you are doing!
Michael, I feel for you and your mother. I salute you and your tenure to the family. Aj