Keep it Real Wednesday
February 19, 2020
Reflections
Last weekend we attended the Idaho family care provider conference and had the honor of giving a bike away to a family.
I thought that giving a blessing bike away would be the highlight of the event for me, but it wasn’t. Giving the bike away was a truly a WOW moment of being able to help another, but it was not the best part.
What was the best part?
The best part was watching the absolute crème of the crop of humanity alive in motion. These hundreds of unsung heroes in the ballroom at Boise State University care selflessly for their family members every single day. Some care for children with disabilities, others for elderly and some with very intense medical issues.
I watched strangers sit across from each other at large round conferences tables share stories and resources.
I tearfully observed one woman reach out to hold a stranger’s hand as she told her story of the difficulties in caring for her son with a multitude of barriers.
I listened to the event organizers and speakers focused on providing the best support they could to this group of people who dedicated their lives to caring for their family members.
I watched several state legislative representatives fully engrossed in the tough conversations about care giving while they also listened, engaged and clearly cared about finding solutions.
I saw vendors of all shapes and sizes, from grassroots nonprofits to multimillion-dollar companies listen to the needs of the families and offer resources, support and solutions.
On a chilly February day in Boise, Idaho, collaborations were made, friendships were ignited, and resources were shared.
Folks, we are not alone in our caregiving. When you start to feel alone, figuratively reach across the table to someone else doing the exact same thing and talk through it.
We are all in this together.
