Years Of Caregiving

My aunt, Dixie Richards is my mom’s second to youngest sibling. She was always a soft-spoken girl, and still is to this day. Aunt Dixie, and her husband, Uncle Jim Richards have pretty much always been caregivers. They took care of members of his family, and later, they took care of members of her family. They both just have a caregiver’s heart, and though the work is hard, they pushed through the fatigue and got the job done. Being a caregiver is a hard job, and the people who do it can do it to their own detriment. I’m thankful that Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim are still with us after so many years of caregiving.

Their health probably did suffer some as a result of their years of caregiving, but their children, who have watched their parents’ years of service to others and learned to be great caregivers too. The girls have homes just steps from their parents’ home, and they all take meals together. It’s a nice way to help their parents and have that fellowship with them too. As the old saying goes, “children learn what they live.” It’s not that Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim’s kids are little anymore, but they have all learned to be caregivers, and now their children are learning to be caregivers too. It is such an honorable thing to do for your parents and grandparents. Having been a caregiver and part of a caregiver team for 17 years, I can tell you that there is much stress, heartache, lack of sleep, confusion, and lack of resources, that go along with that job. If a person chooses to take that task on, they should be commended, because they truly are superheroes. That is what Aunt Dixie, Uncle Jim, and their kids have been for a long time, and it is something they have done well. Each one of them have that caregiver’s heart, and it shows in all they do.

Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim have been daycare givers for a long time too…at least until their own grandchildren have grown old enough to take care of themselves. They initially ran an actual daycare, to which a number of my cousins and their children went, but later it was just their own grandchildren. It was a great blessing for all the children they cared for, and for their parents as well. Aunt Dixie, who was the main daycare provider during the many years that Uncle Jim worked, always made going there lots of fun for the kids. She is so kindhearted, and all the kids loved her. In fact, many of the cousins and their kids who went there, have told me just how fun their time there was. It was a wonderful blessing for all of them. Today is Aunt Dixie’s 79th birthday. Hapy birthday Aunt Dixie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!