The Pastoral Artist
  • Home
  • Book
  • Blog
  • Contact

BLOG

Clothed in Compassion Fatigue

10/12/2014

 
Picture
You know your life is out of balance when you are looking forward to a colonoscopy, knowing that for one day you will be unavailable and blissfully under anesthesia.  I recognize this feeling.  This is how I often felt when I was taking care of my mother.  This is called “compassion fatigue” and it is a form of burnout.  It happens to those who serve others without giving enough thought to their own needs.  I have reached this point.  It is not because I am unaware of my own needs, but rather that things have to be taken care of and it’s up to my husband and myself to care for them.

This past week my sister-in-law and her husband were here from out of state and they were a big help.  We were able to search for some care facilities that would provide memory care for Dad, but also provide a space where he and Mom could stay together.  There are precious few facilities that provide that sort of service.  After many appointments, phone calls and visits, we were able to find one that we could all live with and are in the process of getting on the waiting list. 

Tomorrow, I take Mom to a doctor appointment.  Of course, Dad will come to “help” which makes the process longer.  After the appointment, I take them back to their apartment, get them safely squared away and then go to work for eight hours.  Tuesday is an equally busy day, but Wednesday…ah Wednesday!  I’m scheduled for a colonoscopy.  I will sleep for most the day and no one can expect anything from me. 

The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Colossians to ‘clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience’ (Col. 3:12 ISV).  I love the metaphor of wrapping myself in the garments of kindness.  I don’t love the fatigue that comes when I don’t show the same kindness to myself.

When I was caring for my mother, there were wonderful people who came along side me and helped me helping her.  The very best was when someone would come and visit her to give me time off.  God bless each and every person who did that.  Taking a therapy dog to visit her, spending and evening making dinner and sitting with her, taking her to church or into their homes for a holiday so we could spend time with Mike’s family.  Priceless, priceless gifts of their time.

If you know someone caring for someone with dementia or some other disability, have compassion on the compassionate.  Clothe yourself with kindness and give them some time off to catch their breath.  They’re in a marathon and they need you.


    Archives

    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Donna Kemper

    Donna Kemper put aside her art career to care for a mother she hadn't seen in over a decade.  For seven years she followed her mother's journey into dementia, caring for her and putting forgiveness into action.

    Categories

    All
    Abandonment
    Adult Care Facilities
    Advocacy
    Alzheimers
    Alzheimers Research
    Art
    August
    Automobiles
    Ballet
    Beauty
    Birds
    Birthdays
    Book
    Books
    Burnout
    Camping
    Cancer
    Care Giving
    Cat
    Colonoscopy
    Community
    Compassion Fatigue
    Computer Issues
    Creativity
    Daughters
    Death
    Dementia
    Difficult Parent
    Discovery
    Documentary
    Dreaming
    Elder Care
    Experimentation
    Faith
    Family
    Father
    Father In Law
    Father-in-law
    Fatherless Daughters
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Friendship
    Frustration
    Gardening
    Genealogy
    God
    Gold Leafing
    Good Man
    Gourd Art
    Grandmothers
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Growth
    Health
    Hero
    Hope
    Human Trafficking
    Humor
    Husband
    Justice
    Kayaking
    Kindness
    Life Adjustments
    Listening
    Loneliness
    Loss
    Lost And Found
    Love
    Love In Action
    Mother In Law
    Mother-in-law
    Mothers
    Moving Forward
    Music
    Neglect
    Offering Help
    Paintings
    Patience
    Poetry
    Prayer
    Process
    Psalms
    Questioning
    Recovery
    Relevancy
    Restoration
    Rocks
    Rumi
    Sacrifice
    Sadness
    Shakespeare
    Slavery
    Snow
    Social Media
    Sonnet
    Spiritual Formation
    Storytelling
    Studio
    Suffering
    Transformation
    Transition
    Vineyards
    Water
    Worship
    Writing

    RSS Feed

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

STAY CONNECTED!


© The Pastoral Artist 2022 | Designed by Tech with Tasha

  • Home
  • Book
  • Blog
  • Contact