Acceptance Is Not Agreement

This is Peter Rosenberger and this is your Caregiver Minute. Much of the heartache I've endured as a caregiver results from my unwillingness to accept things as they are. Fighting to change things I remain powerless to change has only made it harder for me and, sadly, others. A friend once told me that acceptance doesn't mean agreement. I may not like what I carry or witness, but I can accept that it is what it is and be calmer while enduring it. That's not defeatist.

That's just realistic. My wife helped teach me this when she lost both of her legs. She didn't like being a double amputee, but it became her new reality. Watching her process significant loss and the new challenges, I witnessed her make peace with new and painful circumstances. While she periodically experiences moments of grief, even decades later, her resolve and acceptance help drive the occasional tears. As caregivers, acceptance connects our brains to our hearts and allows what is to mingle with grief. In the process, we can live more peacefully with the often chaotic events in our lives and our resolve to do so can help also drive the more than occasional tears. Leonardo da Vinci said tears come from the heart and not from the brain. This has been your Caregiver Minute with Peter Rosenberger brought to you by Standing with Hope, a ministry for the wounded and those who care for them. There's more information at standingwithhope.com.