Bonnie Genevay, M.S.W., led a general session to investigate how our spirituality informs our caregiving. Spirituality can provide us with perspective. It can give us a sense of the big picture and a context within which to place our lives. Through contact with our spirituality, we can find a centered place from which to approach the difficulties we face. Caregiving can feel very lonely, as friends and family sometimes withdraw in the face of a disabling condition.
Days can come to be seen as obstacles to be overcome, rather than to be lived fully.
Our spirituality can bring a sense of lightness and wholeness to our experience, and be a support when there seem to be no others. With all the stresses of caregiving, finding support can make a great difference in our lives. This may come in the form of direct care of our loved one, social services to relieve some of our burden, or finding a place like a support group where we can share our experience. Participants at the retreat spoke of finding it in a variety of places. For some, it was within the context of a spiritual assembly where they could enjoy a sense of community and shared ritual.