Caregiving on the Emotional Edge

 


Depression and anxiety are not unfamiliar to many caregivers.
There are mornings when we wake up already uneasy about what the day may bring—especially when someone we love is ill and their care is largely outside our control.

When a parent is in a hospital, nursing home, or care facility, all we can really do is hope. Hope they are treated with patience. Hope they are seen as human beings—someone’s parent, someone’s grandparent—worthy of tenderness and dignity.

Since my dad became ill and was hospitalized, mornings have felt different. I often wake with my heart racing and the urge to stay in bed just a little longer—to pull the covers close and linger in the quiet warmth that feels safe. It’s a brief pause between rest and responsibility, between calm and whatever the day may hold.

Caregiving often lives in this in-between space.
Trying to stay calm while anxiety hums beneath the surface.
Wanting to move forward while exhaustion pulls you back.

Over time, I’m learning that steadiness doesn’t come from controlling outcomes. It comes from focusing on what is within reach—breathing, grounding, choosing the next small step, and letting go of what was never ours to manage in the first place.

Some days, that’s enough.
And some days, it’s the real work of caregiving.

If this resonates, you’re not alone.

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