Arthur Kleinman, author of a new book, “The Soul of Care”, says “Caregiving is perhaps the most ubiquitous activity of human beings, and it can be the most demanding, at times the most discouraging, one. It is also the existential activity through which we most fully realize our humanity. In the humblest moments of caring---mopping a sweaty brow, changing a soiled sheet, reassuring an agitated person, kissing the cheek of a loved one at the end of life---we may embody the finest versions of ourselves. It can offer redemption to the caregiver and the person to whom he (she) is giving care. Care can offer wisdom for the art of living.”
What have you learned about yourself through this caregiving journey, good or bad? The author points out in the next paragraph that caring is diminished in the United States. I, for one, have questioned my worth, as I lost work hours and presence in the workforce, where so much of my worth came from. Has that happened to you?