Take care of yourself!

It is a popular greeting in our culture when we are finishing a conversation with someone else.  Take Care of yourself!  Often we are sincere but sometimes it is just something that we politely say.

This next week, Arden and I are taking this to heart.  We are leaving today on a dream trip to Florence, Italy.  We will be gone for 9 days.  I am speaking at the MIRCI conference there next week.   My presentation is titled, “Empowering Mothers of Special Needs Children.”  As I was preparing the presentation materials, I realized that I needed to allow myself to be empowered.  I needed to learn to take care of myself.

It can be a daunting task to be a caregiver for someone who needs constant personal supervision and physical support.  I have many other responsibilities and yet my attention is continually drawn to what is happening with Nick, even if someone else is physically with him.  It gets overwhelming.  Many times I am not even aware that I am overwhelmed until someone points it out to me.

One of Nick’s other caregivers offered to stay with Nick for this time period so that Arden and I could take this trip, just the two of us.  We will celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary in Florence, experiencing a romantic evening of music and food.  It has been many years since we were able to leave Nick for more than a weekend.

I have mixed feelings.  I am truly excited for the opportunity, for the break and for the upcoming relaxation.  I also feel a bit guilty because I am so excited.  I know that Nick is loved and that he will have a great time while we are gone, but I also am experiencing the other feeling that no one can do my job as well as I do.

And while that is true.  No one else is his mom, I know that I will return refreshed and energized and be able to do a better job, having taken this break.

So for the next 9 days, my plan is to share my personal journey of self-care and empowerment through this blog.  I am feeling a little vulnerable about allowing others to witness my journey, but I feel that it will be of great benefit to me and hopefully to someone else.  So check back with my blog daily over the next 10 days.

Arrivederci!

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