RELATIONSHIPS September 25, 2006 Issue

ONE DIVINE CAREGIVER

ANNETTE BRIDGES

RECENTLY I found myself dealing with one family crisis after another. I wanted to be the perfect mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt. But instead, I was feeling overextended, burdened, overwhelmed, and maxed out.

My parents and father-in-law had various care needs, while another family member had lost her job and her marriage, and had been involved in a serious car accident. Yet another family member with a new baby, needed care and financial assistance. To top it all off, my husband and I were struggling to maintain our cattle ranch in the worst drought conditions we'd had in north Texas in 50 years. The demands seemed endless.

Around that time, a headline in a local newspaper grabbed my attention: "Overburdened family caregivers." That was me, all right. As I read over the piece, it only reinforced all the strain I was feeling. It asserted that caregivers for family members will have times when they feel alone and stressed out.