Please share your caregiving story

In our new series on Elizz, “Caring Lives”, we want to bring to life the relationship with the person you are caring for. The term ‘caregiver’ or ‘informal caregiver’ or ‘unpaid caregiver’ doesn’t tell us anything about this relationship. Yet, we are providing this care AS a daughter, a son, a partner, a sister or brother, a relative, a friend, or a neighbor. This matters as much as anything else, and maybe even more than anything else.  

We all have or will have a caregiving story

Caregiving will be everyone’s story at some time in all our lives. Please consider sharing your story as it is right now.  Stories help to comfort and connect us. Whether it is how you feel, how they feel about needing to be cared for/needing a caregiver; why you stepped up to care for them in the first place; a moment or experience that is dear to you; or what goes through your mind when thinking about the future.  

Your caregiving story may be happening right now, or it may be about your past experiences caring for someone. Present or past tense. It’s all precious to hear about. And all of it is precious--the good, the bad, the ugly, so to speak! 

You DO NOT have to be a storyteller to tell your story. You don’t even need to be good with words. You just need to be willing to share about your relationship and how it is for you to be caring for someone. 

If you are willing to share your story

If you are willing, the process is simple. Just send me an email (janevock@sehc.com) and let me know whether you would like to share via a telephone conversation with me (15 minutes or so) or instead, have questions sent to you (via email), and you write your responses.

AND we would love a pic or 2-maybe it’s an old family pic, or a selfie you just took, or maybe it’s a Facebook pic…whatever you feel like sharing.  

You will be given an opportunity to review and consent to the written post prior to it being posted on Elizz and our social media channels, such as Instagram. 

Together, let’s shine a light on the relationships that drive the meaning, the purpose and how we experience caring for someone. Our conversation will take about 15 minutes with a few questions that can guide your telling-no preparation required!