Spring has sprung here in NYC and it’s absolutely delightful. It’s a time when we once again, need to take some time to renew and rejuvenate ourselves from within. Shedding the darkness from the long winter that enveloped us all. Breathe deeply, reaching up towards the sun and bring in all the warmth, energy and light into your whole body and spirit and feel it beginning to transform you… it’s wonderful… just allow yourself to take some time to feel this freedom… and if you can take a little bit more time, begin to imagine yourself as a butterfly blossoming out of it’s cocoon, spreading your wings and letting yourself soar…. Be Free….

You know, caregivers are a wonderful breed. And it is really no accident that we are all in these roles. Caregiving teaches all of us something so profound and powerful… it can change our lives forever. For many it can start off drastically and even end as a horrible experience but it is so important to understand that you are not stuck; that you have choices to heal and free yourself from suffering… If we are going to care for others no matter what the circumstances it is up to us each individually to make a commitment to heal whatever it is that might come between the person we are in charge of and ourselves…

Many a time, we will think that the joy in giving is for the benefit of the one we are caring for but we are so wrong when we come from this conditioned belief. If you take two minutes, right now to close your eyes and imagine a very painful, sad moment in your life, breathing all that negative stuff into every part of your body you will feel awful.. and many of you won’t even want to go to that place again… it takes time to work yourself up into that painful space.. and yet if you take 15 seconds to imagine a time in your life that was absolutely blissful and loving; where you had not a care or worry surrounding your energy, you would feel totally lighter and freer within these 15 seconds. It is the same with caregiving.

If it is true that the higher power is omnipresent surrounding everything. Then that power is within us and we are all created in this image. Could you imagine what the universe would be like today if that power felt stuck, whined, and didn’t take a risk to fashion all that was possible? Some of you may say. “Who does she think she is?” “We aren’t God”… But I can tell you right now, if you dare to dream… dare to vision. What you really want out of life vs. what you don’t want, you will find that if you keep imagining it and focusing on what it is that you want to draw into your life, it will follow. But don’t have doubt your power … the power of our thoughts is just beyond our belief…and until you make the choice to become conscious of this, you may be missing out on your own freedom of choice and spirit. So with this coming of spring… let’s celebrate! Celebrate your uniqueness, your spirit and being to soar like that butterfly freeing itself from its cocoon…

May your journey be gentle and beautiful!

Gail R. Mitchell

Author

  • Ms. Mitchell began her full-time caregiving experience in the early eighties when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Later on she became the primary caregiver for her father, along with her mother who had become critically ill from burnout prior to her dad’s passing. In recent years, she cared for several friends with AIDS while continuing to care for her mother and actively providing support, information, referrals and resources for caregivers.

    Gail's leadership on the Internet and her success with Empowering Caregivers led her to found National Organization For Empowering Caregivers (NOFEC) INC in 2001.

    Prior to founding NOFEC, she created the iVillageHealth Chat: Empowering Caregivers, which she hosted for over 5 years. Within a month of hosting she created Empowering Caregivers: www.care-givers.com in 1999 as a resource for caregivers around the globe. Over three million visitors have frequented the website.

    She has presented at national and international care-related conferences and programs and has been a keynote speaker for many programs as well.

    Ms Mitchell has assisted thousands of caregivers online and offline in ways to empower themselves in their roles in caring for loved ones.

    For a list of clients and/or her resume, please contact info@care-givers.com

    Gail's articles have been published in many venues nationally and in Canada. Presently, she is a member of American Society on Aging and National Quality Caregivers Coalition.

    Gail has discovered that there is life after caregiving: She has become a successful ceramic artist and installation artist. She created Crystal Illumination Art to bring the transformative quality of illumination, light and color to the human experience and celebrate its ability to inspire, heal and nourish our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

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By Gail Mitchell