My mom is 93 and living in an assisted care facility. Today, I want to honor the men and women that take care of my mom 24/7. They are unsung heroes that deserve our honor. They don’t see my mom as a person covered in wrinkles, older than the hills and unable to walk more than a few steps. They see my mom as a person to care for and to give love to. Sure there are some that see her only as a job. But there are others that truly love talking to her and taking care of her. These are the unsung heroes in the world. It would be difficult for me to do their job of giving baths, wiping bottoms, or dressing old people every day, but they do it. Sure some do it only for the wages and do it because it is a job. However, others do it because it is their purpose; they are the ones with the smiles. They see their job as spreading kindness. They understand how important they are.
I asked one caregiver how she does her job day in and day out. She said, “I think of every resident as my grandmother or grandfather, someone I can love.” Talk about having a kind attitude! Most days when I visit, a caregiver or worker comes up to me and says how much they love taking care of my mom. I’m not sure they say that about all their charges, but my mom is easy to love.
It was difficult for my mom to give up her independence and move to assistant living. She had an adjustment period but she decided early on she wanted to live her life as she always lived it with dignity, grace and a positive attitude. She soon changed her negativity to gratitude for those in her life. This is one of the life lessons my mom and I discuss often: no matter what the situation, there is always good in the situation and for that you need to be grateful.
You really do get back in life what you give out. The turning point for my mom’s depression from giving up her home was the night a caregiver gave her a kiss and a hug when she put her to bed. My mom had tears in her eyes, when she told me about it the next day. When you are with people that love you, you can tolerate less than optimal situations.
Today I want to honor all the caregivers that go to work with love in their heart and see kindness as their job. They give such a gift to the world. It is hard to repay these kind people for what they give to the world, but the best way is to learn from them and to… never underestimate the value of a hug.
Kindness work:
Who can you hug today that needs some encouragement? Do you live kindness even when you are at work?
Staying in Touch: Barbara Hirsh can be reached at info@LiveKinder.com and please sign-up for weekly kindness message at www.LiveKinder.com or follow LiveKinder on Facebook!
