In the Garden, Staying Engaged!
Cindy grew up in her family’s version of The Little House on the Prairie. A medium size house + a really big (400 acres) yard. Her family farmed rice and soybeans so Cindy was “volunteered” to help before she could even talk. So I guess it’s only natural that her love for the soil carried over to her love for gardening. This time of year, if Cindy didn’t have to go into the office to do “real work” she would be out in her garden full time. Her Mom was the same way – she loved to garden more than anything.
And I have to admit – in recent years, I’ve also caught the gardening bug! This year the tomatoes and zucchini squash are going nuts! That’s great because I can’t get enough of either.
The Garden – A Great Engagement Device
Gardening is a great engagement device for Seniors AND for their Family Caregivers. During the summer months Cindy would help her Mom walk to the backyard so she could help with any garden activity that she was able to do. During her last few months on this earth, even when she was too weak to help, Cindy’s Mom loved to watch. She would watch Cindy work in the garden and over time, she would watch her vegetables grow.
Gardens are great for everyone involved in the caregiving experience. Planting things and watching them grow helps Seniors feel fulfilled and engaged – and they love watching their garden grow. Even if the garden is a bucket garden on the deck, it’s great to be able to plant a few tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, herbs or flowers and watch them do their thing.
Another piece of the puzzle is making stuff from the fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers that grow in the garden. Cindy’s Mom was a great cook and loved to take the fruits of her labor and make something great!
The garden is a great place to grow memories, too!
Edible and Medicinal Flowers
Kami McBride is one of our good friends who has taken love for her garden to the next level. Kami has made it her mission in recent years to use her fresh herbs and flowers and transform them into various foods, drinks, oils and recipes that will boost your health and immunity.
Right now, Kami is offering (for only $39) her Edible and Medicinal Flower Herb Walk. Experiencing it will help you build your confidence and skill in using medicinal plants and herbs. We plan to take this virtual guided tour this weekend. Click on this link for more info.
We want to be friends!
Ok. That might come off a little fast, considering we barely know each other. However, we fully understand the stress and turmoil that you are facing as Family Caregiver – including personal experiences with burnout.
In our time as caregivers, we have amassed a wealth of knowledge that we desire to pass on. Likewise, we have met many professional caregivers, as well as other family members who were thrust as Family Caregiver. All caregivers have shared the same advice – Join a community! There is nothing more cleansing for our situation than knowing that we are not alone!
We have since created Caregiver Connection. Caregiver Connection is a newsletter that we write personally and send to fellow Caregivers. It is full of tips, tricks, and even professional advice. If you would like to sign up, click the button below.
Please Invite Someone to Our Newsletter
Being a member of the sandwich generation can be a scary, frustrating and lonely place lacking stability. You feel like you are solely responsible for solving Mom’s problems while managing yours. Some occasional input and a community to plug into would help, especially when facing burnout! This is a way that all of us can be working together as caregivers!
Many others that you may personally know are having to figure it all out by themselves. Most of them have no community. Please take a minute and do them a favor. Copy this link – help.mom/cc – and send it to them in an email or private message. They can click on it and subscribe to our newsletter for free.
Then they can enjoy weekly tips and encouragement. They no longer have to feel so alone in their family caregiver journey. They will appreciate the favor! Thank you for thinking of them!
Thank You for being a Caregiver for Your Loved One – you are making a huge difference in their life!
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