5. Fire-fighting

ONE DAY AT A TIME
Meditations for Carers

5. Fire-fighting
 
Psalm 121.5a, 7a

I wonder if anyone’s ever tried to write a job description for the at-home carer? I’d want them to include things like juggling – too many things! – and fire-fighting – dealing with the unexpected disasters that fill our days. Today, merrily juggling everything as usual, I discovered that the front door on to the street had been left open and the cat had got out. It isn’t an extremely busy road but it isn’t a hundred per cent safe and the cat is a quiet bed-and-back-garden cat: she’s not used to busy roads and traffic. So the cat was what I had to rush to rescue today.

It seems there’s always something I haven’t expected, something I didn’t have my eye on. As carers, we often beat ourselves up about things like this – as if we should have eyes in the back of our heads, omniscience and the ability to see into the future so we can forestall the disasters or catch them in time. There, put like that, I can see how unreasonable I’m being. I’m doing my best – and I’m sure you are too – which is all we can do...

Taken from One Day at a Time: Meditations for Carers by Dorothy M.Stewart

Published by SPCK