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THE CAREGIVER CALLING

December 13, 2023December 14, 2023

THE CAREGIVER CALLING

IS THERE A CALLING TO BE A CAREGIVER?

I believe that certain vocations have a calling. Meaning that people are compelled to pursue certain occupations. Priest, Teacher, Rabbi, Nurse, and Doctor are all careers where people acknowledge that they “have a calling.” Enter into a conversation with anyone holding these key positions and they will more than likely tell you a “story” about the moment when they “knew” that they should and would become a Priest, Teacher, Rabbi, Nurse, or Doctor.

Many Entertainers also express such a “calling.” You will hear them say, that they wanted to Entertain, Sing, Act or Dance the moment they could speak or walk. As children, they imagined themselves on Concert Stages, on the Big Screen or Dancing on Broadway. These are the kids who perform in living rooms using a hairbrush as a microphone.

Athletes have a calling. Dreams of Playing in Professional Sports and Competing in the Olympics float in many children’s heads. I knew a little boy who from the age of 6 carried around an NFL regulation size football and said, “I’m going to play in the Superbowl!”

This is not the same for the Family Caregiver. In most cases, the Caregiver never imagined that they would be fulfilling Caregiving duties for a loved one. The most common of Caregivers’ childhood dreams did not include the position in which they now find themselves.

Personally, I think that we all—all human beings—possess a gift. A gift that we are responsible for giving back. Whether you are compelled to become a Civil Servant, a Writer, a Truck Driver, a Corporate Executive, a Housekeeper, or a Street Sweeper—there is an occupation in which you will excel. The trick is to determine exactly what position best utilizes your gift.

I also realize that certain individuals do have a “calling” to be a Caregiver. In my book, the Caregiver Calling closely resembles those vocational callings to serve and help people. Such as Doctor, Nurse, or Teacher. As a matter of fact, Caregiving encompasses all of those skills in one.

The challenge is that there does not appear to be an adequate supply of those Individuals with the Caregiving Calling.

And those of us who have stepped up to be Family Caregivers, may or may not have the Caregiver Calling.

I do NOT have such a Calling.

I have never wanted to be a Nurse. Hospitals, Sick people, and people who need the comfort, support, and assistance a Nurse provides are just not my thing. Although as my Mom’s Caregiver, I daily perform a Nurse’s duties. It falls upon me to administer her medication, keep up with Doctor’s appointments and generally make sure that she remains in good health.

I have tremendous respect for Educators, especially in today’s world; however, I never wanted to be a Teacher. I have very little patience and I don’t like to repeat myself. Both qualities that do not fare well in the teaching profession. As my Mom’s Caregiver, I find myself exercising patience while consistently explaining that the television remote is not broken and attempting to teach her how to use her smartphone.

And Housekeeping is really not one of my best events. Not that I am messy, and I can keep a clean house. The problem is that I resent having to constantly clean up after someone else. And that is not the definition of a good Housekeeper.

I am one of those people who always knew what they wanted to do. I went to college, studied Marketing, and graduated with a degree that helped me excel in the field of Marketing and Advertising. I actually did what I went to school to learn how to do.

Writing has been my passion since I learned how to write. While studying Business & Marketing at the University of Michigan, I also took every English Writing class that was offered and had Independent Studies with Professors who are Pulitzer Prize winning Authors. And now despite all else, I am pursuing my passion. Albeit, writing a Caregiving Blog was not one of my writing dreams.

The Business skills that I acquired, have helped me to navigate the flawed Health Care system to make sure that my Mother receives the care that she requires. But it’s not easy.

And so, as I go through the day, performing duties for which I do not have a calling or a special skill, I have a deep appreciation for those individuals who do. The Caregiving Calling is a unique calling which cannot go unanswered.

If Called 2 be a Caregiver…Will U answer?