While on vacation I joked about randomly breaking into the song “The Morning After” from the 1972 action-adventure disaster film Poseidon Adventure (ok not so funny while on a cruise ship).  However; it did get me thinking about caregiving (may seem obscure but my brain can correlate the most random of things with caregiving).

At some point in the caregiving journey there is a morning after. The day when the person we have loved and cared for is gone and all of the stress, chaos and tasks associated with their care has come to an end.

Until then we must hold on through the calls in the middle of the night, the hours spent waiting for doctors or sitting in the emergency room. Just keep on looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. However; though the tasks seem overwhelming and there are times when it all seems too much to bear… as much as you can…

• Be present with your loved one
• Create special moments
• Take time to connect with them outside of your caregiving tasks

Though sometimes hard to imagine, that morning will come, and when it does there will be much sadness (even if they suffered and their passing feels like a blessing), some anger for what they (and you) have endured and if we are completely honest with ourselves, a bit of relief that they are no longer suffering and we can rest.

For more resources visit AlongComesGrandpa.com.