Chronic illness and disability affect the person who provides care as well as the one who requires it. Caregiving is one of the most challenging jobs any person can do. It is challenging emotionally, fraught with feelings ranging from love to guilt. It is challenging physically, as you use your body to perform tasks your loved one can no longer do. It is challenging financially, as you negotiate staggering medical costs. It is challenging spiritually, as you pursue love and meaning in the face of irrevocable loss.
In recognition and appreciation for your commitment to meeting those challenges, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all caregivers. Thank you for your physical energy, mental discipline, and emotional stamina. Thank you for the courage, heroism, and love that you embody every day. Thank you for all of the wheelchair transfers you perform, all of the meals that you prepare, all of the medications that you keep track of, and the countless acts of compassion you carry out every day. Thank you for the power of your presence. Thank you for refusing to give up when things get hard, or to give in when things get harder. Thank you for strengthening our community by transforming your loved one's life experience. Thank you for all that you do and all that you stand for. I am proud to stand with you.
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