Three days ago I had a wonderful conversation with a friend who lost her husband on the first day of 2023 after a long and difficult battle with Parkinsons’ Disease and dementia. While she was grieving she was also filled with thanksgiving for the ten years they spent together. She described him in a Facebook post as follows, “He was my Knight in Shining Armor in Harley leathers, my fierce protector, my cheerleader, my biggest supporter of all my crazy ideas.” It was an honor to hear her share their story.
But there was one line that jumped off the page of her post that made me smile. For many of their ten years together my friend was her husband’s caregiver. While she counted it a privilege to love and care for him, it took its toll physically, financially, and emotionally. She understands the challenges of being a full-time caregiver. One of the gifts her husband gave her was the freedom and knowledge that she had to take care of herself. So it was no surprise that she penned the following powerful statement,
“He taught me that self-care is not selfish and encouraged time spent with friends and family…”
I told her she had plagiarized David’s Refuge motto! If you have time or the desire would you remember Stacy in your thoughts and prayers?
As you begin 2023 I challenge you to embrace Stacy’s gift from her husband. Every day you get up just say proud and outloud, “Self-care is not selfish.” Happy New Year!!