• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010

• All Categories
• Taking care of you
• Dementia
• Personal care
• Caregiving 101
• Caregiver stories
• The spiritual perspective
• Upcoming events
• Caregiver statistics

• All Authors
• Anne
• evana
• Coach Nancy
• Bob Coach

• Government websites
• Disease specific websites
• Caregiver Resources
• Aging Resources

Friends for all reasons

I moved this weekend.  I didn’t actually intend to move this weekend.  I had planned to just do a load every day or two.  I had it all mapped out – take a week to paint the two key rooms on the main level, move things in slowly over the following week, and just hire movers for the big things.  My friends changed all that.

Thursday morning I took some of my discard items to my friend Kathi’s house where she was graciously willing to sell them in her garage sale over the weekend.  Later that morning, my friend Barb came over to help me paint – well let me tell you, she knows her painting.  She helped me do the prep (the part I really hate), paint two rooms and even the clean up from the first room.  As I stepped back the next day to admire the dramatic results of the two rooms – I realized that I was way ahead of schedule already. 

Then my friend Lori called.  Turns out Lori is a master packer and mover and had no plans on Saturday.  She met me at my house at 8 a.m., giving me a couple hours to get some things packed and moved out of rooms.  In just two trips with our two cars (it is amazing what you can fit in a mini van) almost all my belongings were in my new home.  She helped arrange and unpack some things and even vacuumed the family room carpet – insisting that I would want at least one room that stayed clean.

Enter Karen.  Karen took me out to dinner on Saturday night where I enjoyed catching up and a wonderful meal.  I know had I stayed home Saturday night, I would have been compelled to unpack (OK truth be told I still did when I got home), and would have grabbed a handful of grapes and carrots and called it dinner.  When I got home, I had renewed energy and got a ton more done.

So – I moved this weekend.  And it never would have happened without my friends.  This got me thinking about the gifts that each of us share with others.  We can’t all be the painter, the mover, the entertainer, but we all have gifts we can share.

If you have a friend or neighbor who is a family caregiver, you might be wondering how you can help them.  Maybe you ask and they can’t name anything specific they need help with.  Try suggesting something that you enjoy and that you know would be helpful.  For ideas on how to help, Read the Toghers article, How to help during the grief process.  

If you are a family caregiver and a friend or neighbor offers to help – let them.  This may be the biggest lesson I have learned this year.  People give because it feels good.  Allow them to do something that makes them feel good and is good for you to.  For some ideas on what others can do to help, read the Toghers tip card – What others can do to help.   

Comments

Leave a Comment