A new campaign was launched this week called “Give A Care.” The idea is simple: thank the people in your life who are caregivers by sending them a personalized video. It’s really that easy, but I imagine that it will have a huge impact on many who see the video and realize how deeply important care giving matters in our society.
Many caregivers’ are like my daughter. They have the same daily routines: wake up early, fix breakfast, get the kids up, ready, and off to school, pick them up, take them to practices, feed them dinner, help with homework, and put them to bed. There’s never a day off or a dull moment. It’s not an easy job, and the pay is lousy.
Some of my friends and family take care of a sick parent or have a child with special needs. The tasks that they perform are demanding and the pay is terrible.
All of us are caregivers. But, we don’t always see ourselves in that role. Care giving is just something that we do because loved ones depend on us.
Caregivers matter and are all around us. My admired co-worker Fenny nursed her terminally ill daughter and now cares for her granddaughters, both who lost their mother this year, one with chair bound physical disability. There is my esteemed colleague Graham, who nurtured his preemie daughter around the clock during the first months of her fragile little life. My dear friend Brenda, and her husband, who shops and prepares meals for her elderly mom, takes her to the doctor and provides for a safe, secure home. And, I see caregivers within my own family, to offer child care, to help sick relatives recuperate, and to provide essential in-home health care assistance and service.
I want to say “THANK YOU” as a small gesture of my genuine appreciation to all of the caregivers in the world. This video, helps us to visualize and recognize how both challenging and rewarding care giving can be. Please share the link. And, tell those around you just how precious the work that they do for us truly is.
