PW Contributor and caregiver Gloria Szanto, shares with us how she is able to live a healthy, family-filled, yet busy life while caregiving for her husband.
His health has been slowly declining over the last 12 years.
While he still manages to care for his personal needs himself, I do most of the driving, taking him to doctors appointments, and to blood transfusions, etc. I do not dwell on the fact that hubby is not feeling his best. He is always very tired, more than tired, more than exhausted, when it is time for a transfusion.
I do what I must to help him; I’ve taken on his household responsibilities, like taking out the trash, and minimal yard work- which I hate! haha, but must be done to keep him happy! I’m thankful for the 16 years we’ve had together so far and for our family.
I love them all dearly.
I pray I stay healthy and can continue to do what I do: errands, shopping, family get-togethers, etc. Family is most important to me.
We have a blended family of four children with four spouses living in three states, nine grandchildren with two spouses, ranging in ages from 28 years old to six, living in four different states. My two daughters and four grandchildren live in Ocala, near us. he others, I wish were here too. We do not get to see them as often as we’d like, but thank goodness for FaceTime, emails, phone calls, and texts! We manage to stay close in heart and keep up with what is going on in their lives.
We attend most of our Ocala grandchildren’s special activities, gymnastics events, baseball, soccer, first grade parties, and projects, and high school activities like concerts, sports, cheerleading, and theatric shows (drama). We are blessed with our Ocala son-in-laws who are always here to do things for us that we need help with. Our out-of-state son and daughter-in-law are empty-nesters now, and they are very supportive with phone calls, texts, and they visit when they can.
In fact our son came here from Texas, in a week’s notice, to a surprise 78th birthday party for his Dad. Our out-of-state daughter has two six-year-old girls, (not twins, one girl is adopted from China and a biological girl) that are six weeks apart, so it is like having twins. And I know about twins! Because our youngest Ocala daughter has seven-year-old Boy/Girl twins who I have helped with three days a week since their birth– I loved and still do love every minute of it.
So my days are full, I am happy. In my downtime I like to
crochet. This year so far I have made seven mermaid blankets and two baby blankets, one of which is for our great-granddaughter who is expected to arrive May 11th. She will join her cousin, who is our first great-grandson. Sure wish they all lived closer, I’d love to get my hands on the babies. THE FAMILY IS GROWING, I couldn’t be happier about that.
It’s a wonderful life! Life is full of what I call seasons, life changes, people come, people go, you are up, you are down, stay thankful for what you have, for when you are truly thankful, it is hard to be down or sad.
