Coping

Load up the schedule. Slot in another task. Consider an assignment and what needs researching. How would I lay out the written report? What are the expectations? What doctor’s appointment do we have today, or therapy, or prescription pickup?


Lots to do. Today. Tomorrow. The next day.


To be expected, and all manageable. Five meetings a month for caregiver groups. What are their experiences? How are those different from mine? Does my experience add understanding to their interaction with their patient? What do we pull from each other that helps us cope with what’s happening?


Yes, busy days, but manageable. Interesting, too. At least for now. I can see how a day will arrive that I might be tense and ready to explode. But not yet. Just minor annoyance at timing. Easily transacted.

The caregiver groups are an investment for when times get much more rough. We have time, though. Things are quite manageable right now. There’s that word again – manageable. Must be on my mind that it one day will not be so.


But then, coping is a talent one gains with time and experience. We all have been coping with too much on our plate for a lifetime! This is not new. The challenges have been there all along. The only difference now is we know more about what is coming; not if, when. We don’t know the when, just that it is ahead for us.


Current coping is to avoid fast foods and make something to eat at home. So far that is frozen fare. Casseroles from Stouffers. The are good. A little high in sodium and fats, but tasty and convenient to fix. Some days we add veggie side dishes, also frozen. Calculate the cost of these meals, realize fast food is the same or cheaper. Run to McDonalds or Burger King, or Augustino’s or Rosati’s. All good, but the last two are triple the cost of the first two. Let’s not go there! Avoid them. Budget too tight for them.


Going to meetings adds complexities to the calendar, but those doings outside the home are food for the brain and emotions. They keep me sane. The SCORE mentoring is challenging and fun. So too the discussion groups at church; those tickle the mind in ways the internet can’t. Plus interacting with people is a tonic in itself. So we continue to allow these activities, yes, even treasure them.


Making a difference in the lives of others still makes a difference in my life. It is a coping skill readily available. The writers’ group, too. We meet monthly and share our writings with one another for tips, edits, and suggestions. A rich experience. Some are publishing their books as we speak. So this group is fruitful, too!


Coping may seem a challenge, but in the main it is a continuation of routines that shift into different modes just like life demands of us normally. Sometimes the urgency is different, but then the caring is more as well. We do what we must. And it is good. All is good.


September 5, 2019