I got a card in the mail. Strong words that beg to be shared.
Written by author Leo Rosten:
The purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.
In many ways, it speaks to what care givers do when cancer becomes a part of life. And if you look at it that way, the thought sends a gentle nod to all of you who have made that cancer care-giving journey.
You were certainly useful….you had to be responsible and the compassion that came from caring for a loved one is beyond description. You made a difference; some of you are still doing so.
You didn’t plan for this, in fact, many of us didn’t know we had the staying-power to get through the ordeal, but we did.
I know you didn’t do it to get any thanks. You didn’t do it to get a pat on the back. You did it out of love and because you are who you are; some one who needed to make a difference.
I’m saying “Job well done. You have made a difference.”
December 11, 2012 @ 6:11 am
Only those of us who have been there can truly be moved by your words…………..Beautiful post Laurie………..Lifting
December 10, 2012 @ 7:26 pm
I often wonder what my purpose is here on earth. These words have given me a little insight into that…I made a difference in the life of the person that I loved more than anything on this earth. Thank you for lifting me up today!
December 10, 2012 @ 10:06 am
The caregiver makes all the difference in the world. My dad is “caring” for my mom, but really he is doing so much more. He is pulling out love I think he thought was lost. Pulling out old memories that didn’t seem important a year ago, making sure, she is comfortable, feed, warm, happy. He is everything. That to me shows me so much more about life and love, then him just being my dad, or her husband. I wouldn’t choose to have her sick, i wouldn’t put that on my worst enemy, but the best things are seen in the worse situations. Without cancer, we wouldn’t really know this ‘DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING’ love in now see. And that is the love you and so many are/have provided. You do make a difference. Not just to your sick one, but to everyone around you and everyone that watches. I honor you.