Here’s my latest project: a calendar. Not a big deal, but it gives me something fun to do on the computer, which keeps me from going insane, and the final product is actually helpful. I’m quite pleased with the layout and design; plenty of room to write, breaks up the month visually, and includes lots of my favorite pictures. Yes, there are many other things that I should be doing instead, but, oh well.
I have lots of little things to keep my hands and mind occupied during the slower hours of caregiving. I blog, I read, I play with graphics, I photograph, I scrapbook, I pull weeds, I knit and I bake. Even though taking care of someone and making yourself continually available is definitely a great accomplishment and fulfilling in and of itself, having little projects around that are fun (do NOT insert "housekeeping" here) keeps me from feeling trapped and adds a sense of creativity and visible accomplishment to the day.
I wonder if this also explains Mom's determination to do certain things, as well. Maybe she works her crosswords, reads, and continually reorganizes different little areas of her room because she is bored and feeling trapped, too. Until now, I had thought of our roles as being opposite, but maybe caregiving and being cared for are, in some ways, parallel paths.
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