Gift of love and care
IT has been a busy week of festivities and school holidays, and now Valentine’s Day is around the corner. For some people, Valentine’s Day is insignificant because of its pagan beginnings, which then evolved into a day to celebrate romantic love by presenting flowers and chocolates to the object of your heart.
That too has evolved into gifting to anyone you love — your parents, best friends, and even colleagues!
To me, it’s a day to celebrate love and show appreciation to those who matter, just like any of the other special days which have been commercialised — Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Teacher’s Day and so on. It just means that there are lovely gifts ever ready to be purchased if you don’t have the time to make them yourself. Tell me who doesn’t like presents?
I’ve been a caregiver for more than 20 years, and there isn’t a day in the year that has been marked as Caregiver’s Day. No matter. Any day is a good day to give and receive thanks.
On the flipside, how many of us have thanked the caregivers in our lives? You’d have noticed by now that most caregivers never really ask for anything personal from you. They just do what they have to do. If there’s anything they ask for, it’s for your support and understanding in caring for your loved one.
You may have given your caregiver year-end monetary bonuses. However, if you haven’t, this is a good time to thank your caregiver. It doesn’t always have to be money, although that really helps because while some caregivers are paid, most are not. Small gestures of kindness or small
FROM THE HEART
I find that people appreciate home-cooked food. I’ve taken the cue from my late mother’s practices. She used to frequently send tiffins of food from her kitchen to relatives and friends who’d just returned home from the hospital. She also sent food to the hospital for the patient with no dietary restrictions and whose appetite needed to be enticed, as well as to the patient’s caregivers and family who were on hospital duty.
On days I anticipate to be a long one, I sometimes bring a bag of breakfast (much like a small picnic basket) of a light meal like porridge, pie or sandwiches for the ones I’m accompanying to the hospital.
Recently, my brother had been in and out of hospital for treatments that affected his appetite. He needed to eat well to regain his strength. He was sick and tired of hospital food and what was available at the cafeteria. He was also not keen on store-bought food. To coax him to eat, I rustled up dishes that our mum used to cook. That did the trick! Soon he was looking forward to eating other types of food.
On that note, you could share your food by cooking a bit more when you cook for the family and send some to the caregiver. Alternatively, you can order food online and get it delivered to them.
Online shopping has opened a whole new world without you ever needing to leave the house. You can use this facility to help others. Everything is at your fingertips, and your credit card.
MAKE IT SPECIAL EVERY DAY
There are so many other ways to show you care. You don’t need to wait for a special day to do this. And you can do it more than just once a year. You can put down in your calendar to do this on a certain day of the month, like the first Monday (or any other day) andsoon.
You can, for instance, run errands for the caregiver, like doing their groceries, cleaning and vacuuming the house, arranging for someone to cut the grass or do the laundry. You won’t believe how one less chore can really be such a boon to an exhausted caregiver.
If you’re familiar with the loved one who’s being cared for, offer an hour or two of your time for the caregiver to take a break to do something personal for themselves or for some pampering like a massage, hot bath, or a good, long nap!
There are times when the caregiver cannot and will not be separated from the loved one in his care, but you know full well that they need a break. You could arrange something for this so that both the caregiver and care receiver can benefit from a change of air.
If it’s the occasional surprise that makes you happy, putting together a hamper of all of the caregiver’s and care receiver’s favourite things can be fun. It can be anything from food to towels, blankets, linen, bath and household cleaners as well as soaps and fragrances. The list is endless!
Try it! Lighten up, discover the joys of gifting and make someone smile. Happy Valentine’s Day!