Trust

Trust was the one element I saw people grapple with time again. “Mom couldn’t possibly be happy in a situation like that” people would say when it came time to make changes in a living situation. Or “I couldn’t possible allow such and such to happen!” they would exclaim, assuming the worst, not seeing the potential for good in every shift that had to be made. Caregivers guided by an inner sense that everything would be alright, that the best solution would come, that God or the Universe or their Higher Power would find a way, said different things to me. The situations and choices were identical but the emotional/spiritual beliefs underlying the questions allowed for solutions better than what they could conceive of on their own. Instead of saying “no” or “I can’t imagine it” or “I won’t consider anything but what we’re doing now” they would say “I’m ready to accept things as they are and I’m ready to embrace the changes that are coming our way. How can I do this in the most loving way possible?” “What could I do better?” And “how can I get help with that?”

Another excerpt from the Introduction of The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving. Buy the book at Healing Communication Press at Lulu.com. Thanks!