When it feels like life is on hold. . .
A lot of caregivers, while committed to the work of seeing a loved one through the journey of an illness, begin to feel as if their own lives are on hold. This is difficult at any age, but it can be particularly challenging for young people who find themselves eager to launch their careers and dreams but are caring for a parent or even a sibling who needs their constant supervision or support.
It is so sad to hear people talk (or admit that they think) about their lives as being postponed, put off, set aside or deferred in some way just because the demands of caregiving have limited their activities or require so much of their time. In other words, the work of caregiving has taken such precedence over other choices in life that we can begin to feel as if our OWN lives are missing in action, while we take care of someone else!
