A time comes in our lives when we disentangle, when we recognize that others do not really need us; they simply have become accustomed to having us meet needs in their lives.
As the times become more difficult, ties that bind may strangle. It is then that we must ask, "What is it that I need to maintain a healthy life?" Even when we have inescapable obligations, we must learn how to care for ourselves before we can care for others. The Christ said we must love others AS we love ourselves.
The caregiver is increasingly an endangered specie in a culture where the pursuit of personal happiness is paramount. Too many people equate "love" with "how much you sacrifice your needs for mine."
The world, I suggest, is divided into two: caregivers and those who seek the care of others. Those who seek the care of others are not necessarily those who genuinely need care.
For those of us who are caregivers at heart, our challenge is this: identify those who genuinely NEED care; distinguish them from the self-absorbed who always know what others should be giving them.
