Cherishing the moments

There are times when I get tired of being a caregiver, but I remind myself to cherish the moments. The day will arrive when I will no longer have my loved one.

So what are some ways to cherish the moments:

Listen to what they have to say

Discuss their lives—this is difficult as they have less to say; but often we listen to descriptions of the book my grandmother is reading
Listen to memories and family stories
Put away devices—my grandmother doesn’t understand the computer and iPhone. While we can’t put them away completely; we do try to designate time without them each day/visit
Enjoy the time together—for us this often involves just taking a ride or sitting quietly
Celebrate Christmas—I have a friend whose has a parent that was only given a few months to live. Knowing the parent would not make it to Christmas, they celebrated early. {This could also work for other special events or holidays}

How do you cherish the moments?

Caregiving can be very taxing and trying at times. There are times when you just need to get away and have “me” time.

There are numerous times when sacrifices have to be made and we as caregivers have to give up things we really want to do.

When these moments come, I remind myself to cherish the moments I have with my loved one. I remind myself that she is getting older and we will not have her forever.

This was driven home this past week with the passing of a very dear individual in my life. I thought about the times we spent together and how I wish I had more of those moments to just sit with him or to sing another song together.

I strive to remind myself to cherish these moments when I am with my grandmother and other loved ones. I find that I have more appreciation and gratitude when I use this reminder. This is the time to enjoy the small moments together, as well as to ask questions and listen to stories from their younger days.

When our loved ones are gone all of these opportunities will also be gone. Usually, we don’t know how much longer we have together. We can either take advantage of them now or regret the missed chances later on.

How do you cherish the moments together?

Tag: Cherishing the moments

Caregiving Monday: Cherishing the Moments