The Pride of a Caregiver

You wake up and you check the clock. You see the lights blinking, 6:30am you are surprised at the time because you typically wake up later and more groggy. You question reality for a bit but came back tune. You think to yourself it’s time to go back to work. You get up from bed and a chill of shivers run down your spine. A form of change opens up your mental state. You begin to wonder and think, there’s only me.

Being a caregiver means giving priority to others and managing their well being. More often then not, we ourselves are to be cared for and nurtured as equally as others. We know ourselves more than others and by the end of the day we wake up and go to bed. Some has grown up taking care of others through means that are either uncontrollable or intended. We fight to protect.Over the years we come to see the evolution of health care and care giving both in the household and individually. From families back in the day where woman had the main focus of being the caregiver. Nowadays, for sometime now, being a caregiver is something that is much more quantifiable while extending the reach of a caregiver.

Some take pride in caring for themselves so much that it can be frowned upon due to things like toxic masculinity or arrogance, narcissism and other mentally debilitating factors. Mental health is so much important now than ever because its more public and wildly excepted. Being a caregiver now means having to put on the oxygen mask to yourself first and making sure you have your breathing under control before helping someone else with their oxygen mask. Caring for yourself when needed isn’t something that makes you bad or inhabitable but knowing when to hold yourself accountable and center yourself. 

The caregiver understands the idea of helping others. They work towards making sure people are safe and secure either mentally, physically or both. Like doctors, social workers and psychologists, caregivers are presented with innate abilities to comfort and rejuvenate those they come in contact with. Those in the professional realm take the time to hone their skills and master their abilities while leaving room for growth.  since the world is ever changing they must grow as well to further understand the people they interact with. Though on the other side of things, there are those whom are not professionals but has the gift to connect with others. The empathy to understand, relate and at most times, feel what the other must be feeling. 

Caring for yourself can come easy to some but not for everyone. Caregiving comes from a place where we ourselves either wasn't cared for or were very cared for to inspire to do so yourself. Something in the past wether it's an event or an upbringing leads us to a path where caregiving is ingrained within us. The dark parts of ourselves only gets bigger when outside factors surround us.

When we care for others we care for ourselves in a way because we heal what we can sometimes think cannot be healed. Like the character "Bucky" from the marvel show "Falcon and the Winter Soldier", he has to deal with his past and his internal struggles to find purpose within himself for himself in order to move on with life. Ultimately resulting in forgiving yourself for the past while learning to help others and building this sense of purpose for himself. Being of service to yourself mentally and physically and others so we all can grow to the best versions of ourselves is the pride of a caregiver.