You can be as devoted and loving a spouse or a caregiver or child, but you also have to remember that you have to program time for yourself in there, because it will renew you.
I was a very ambitious, young actor, grateful and getting out there, working hard. I was single-minded in pursuit of my career. I am also the oldest of seven and had this extreme responsibility for everyone around me. I was a caregiver and not taking care of myself as much as I should have.
Being a caregiver for your child is part of the job description of being a mammal.
As a widow and a caregiver and a single mother, I'm living the experience that New Mexicans are.
If a mother or a caregiver does not have a job that pays a living wage and they cannot afford child care, that is unacceptable. I've talked to my constituents over the years, and child care can almost bankrupt a family, even a two-parent household in which both parents are working.
I have cared for loved ones nearly all my life, so when I look in the mirror, I see a caregiver looking back at me. It began when I was 12 years old and my father became ill. Taking care of him took a toll on our entire family, my mother most of all.
Being a caregiver requires infinite patience, physical and emotional strength, health care navigation skills, and a sense of humor - which can be hard to come by after sleepless nights and demanding days.
I'm very sensitive. Because my mum was my primary emotional caregiver growing up, I found myself being pinned into dresses, darting her dresses, choosing her high heels for the evening or what to wear. I'm very much a mommy's boy.
My husband is the best caregiver in the world.
I've spent a great deal of time over the past decade as a caregiver for various family members. It gives me a perspective on the struggles that many New Yorkers face with illness, disability, health care, insurance difficulties, and trying to work with and also take care of family members.
