letting it all hang out

I realize it may be perplexing to some, and repugnant to others to see me let my bloody insides hang out all over this blog. here are a few reasons why I do it, and why I think it's important.

1. I'm standing in solidarity with my brothers and sisters who know the pain of depression. I intend to get through this, and I want to show that it is possible. I also hope that I am giving a voice of experience to the souls who suffer in silence.

2. To show that, yes there is a cost to family caregiving. I would not change much about the past year, especially the choice to take my mom into my everyday life when she really needed help. But I have learned, the hard way, that there is a consequence for every choice we make. My bod's way of breaking down is in my neurotransmitters. Other people who are overwhelmed by stress may get Krohn's disease, or ulcers, or debilitating back pain. My point? That we, as a rapidly aging society better figure out how to take care of caregivers. Most caregivers of children and other vulnerable family members are women, so yes, this is a women's issue. I don't want my daughters having breakdowns when they are forty because nobody taught them how to take care of themselves first, and others second. My hope is that one thing that comes out of this blog experiment is a new vision of how to keep the well from running dry when it comes to caregiving. I see this as a huge task, and I hope that I will have the tenacity to come up with some valuable insights after when all is said and done.