I thought it appropriate to take just a minute this Thanksgiving Day 2011 and share what I’m most thankful for in our business life. Here it is – I’m really thankful for the Child Caregiver Heroes that we encounter almost every day in our law office. Some may not know who child caregivers are, but if you are one, you know, because you are consumed by it almost every waking minute. This is a thankless job, but I wanted to take a minute to thank you on behalf of myself and on behalf of your parent or spouse who may no longer be able to thank you.
The reason that I have the word “Child” in quotes is that most of the “Children” that we encounter are in their 50’s or 60’s and are providing care, at least part-time to a parent who has suffered a stroke, or who has Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, or any number of dread diseases. To state a few tasks performed by this hero, he/she helps to feed, bathe, shop for, take to medical appointments and handle the finances of a parent. One purpose of all of this is to help preserve their parent’s dignity and semblance of independence for just a little while longer. This parent may be living at their home, or may be living at the home of their child.
Usually, the child caregiver hero is not retired. As a matter of fact, they are just hitting their stride. They are usually at the peak of their, job, career or business, which means that they are very busy. They may have kids or grandkids at home or in college and are juggling many balls in the air at any given time.
I see this almost every day and am always amazed. There is only one word to describe how they can do all of this. LOVE. These child caregiver heroes have tremendous love for their parents and their whole family. They will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes with no promise of when or how the journey will end. It is our privilege at our elder law practice to work with these child caregiver heroes every day to attempt to make a few things a little better for them and their parents. So on this Thanksgiving Day, to all of the child caregiver heroes out there, I have just one work for you – THANKS!