by Carole Brecht
I
started caring for my Mom full-time in 2009 after I closed
my art
gallery/custom frame shop. I had planned to secure a job within six
months, but my career path took a turn when my Mom was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s Disease. My Dad was still working full-time and I lived
nearby, so it seemed fitting that I
would be taking on the role of Mom’s Caregiver. For a long time, I
didn’t know the word “Caregiver” or its meaning. All I knew was that I
was the daughter stepping up to help my parents in their senior years.
I’ve always been close to my parents and would do anything for them if
they called on me. To this day, I am caring for my Dad throughout the
work week.
Initially, Mom was on a slow decline, but when she took
a fall around the holidays that year and broke her arm, everything
changed. She was heavily medicated with pain meds and her mental state
began to change drastically. What I witnessed over the next several
years of the ravages of this awful disease was horrific and scary. She
looked exactly the same, but her aggressive personality changes were
huge. At the end of her life, in September 2014, I made a firm decision
to write a book for those going through their own Caregiving journeys
and began writing The Artistry of Caregiving. All I could think
about was helping someone in the same shoes to let them know they were
not alone, but very much understood, appreciated and supported. Mom died
on November 23, 2014.
My
inspiring book includes several of my Caregiver Zentangle Inspired Art
designs which affirm and support Caregivers. The book includes 33
letters written to the readers to help them to navigate the emotional
journey of caring for another. It’s meant to be read on the go, in no
particular order. If a reader can’t focus or doesn’t have time to read,
the images throughout the book will inspire. The paperback edition will
be out in July on Amazon. Whether you are at the beginning, middle or
end of your journey, this book is written for you. Here is an excerpt:
Letter 2
Dear Captain,
You
are the captain of the USS Caregiver, and you are in command of a host
of people who are helping you sail the Caregiving seas. You make
decisions every day that are correct to get to your destination, which
is tomorrow and then the next day and the next. You weather all kinds of
conditions and you do it with class and joy. Who could ask for a better
captain than you?
Who is a Caregiver?
Caregivers come in different ages, both boys and girls, men
and women, teens, young adults and seniors and typically that person has a huge heart. There are Caregivers/Carers all over the world and we are the most diverse population possible! Though my Caregiver experience is based on my relationship caring for my parents in their senior years, the concept of caring for another follows us throughout our lives. We learn to love and to care for others from the time we’re toddlers. People of all ages can read this book and benefit from the emotional support through my words and my Zentangle Inspired Art that affirms and supports Caregivers. My book is your companion, letting you know you are understood and not alone. I hope you refer to The Artistry of Caregiving throughout your lifetime and you share it with others. May my book bless you and comfort you as you navigate the emotional journey of caring for another.CONTACT INFO:
cbrecht4@gmail.com
Amazon: The Artistry of Caregiving, Letter To Inspire Your Caregiver Journey
TangledArtBoutique.com
Facebook.com/thesandwichwoman
SanGenBlog
Twitter: @SanGenWoman
Instagram: Carole Brecht @San_Gen_Woman
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