I remember as a kindergartner an uncomfortable time when my buddy and I were being harassed by an overgrown 1st grader. With a high pitched, yet threatening tone, my friend pointed to me and warned this bigger kid, “This is my partner, Bruce, and he’s roamed all over! So leave us alone.”
Yes, we were some pretty tough hombres!
While many of us treasure “alone time” and yearn for solitude, the truth is that we also need people along the way. We need other people’s expertise, ability, and encouragement. And someone needs ours.
Specifically in the arena of chronic illness and caregiving, we need friends, family, and health professionals who are on our team, willing to listen, help, and guide.
You are looking for partners. With a blend of intention and persistence, you will find them. Gail Sheehy, author of Passages in Caregiving, describes this well.
Partner-that was the word we were looking for. Between doctor and patient and caregiver, treatment must be a collaborative process. It is essential that you as caregiver speak up, and right from the start assess whether or not this is a doctor willing to enter into a collaboration.
At whatever point you may be on your journey, stop today to assess your partners. Do you need to invite someone into your world? Ask someone to leave? Say thank you? Return the favor?
I send you all green lights as you find your partners for the journey!
Worth Repeating
We all have different timetables in reaching and realizing that being in healthy partnership is better than being on our own.
-Hill Harper
