All in a Day

I was talking with some people I work with and I mentioned how much fun my job was...crazy, unpredictable, sometimes stressful, but fun. I'm a social worker, working with older adults and their families.  Nothing is more unpredictable than working with people who because of disease or injury or mental illness no longer are anchored to time, judgments, norms or plans.  Simply, they live in the moment.  Their lives are a string of moments knitted together.  When all you have is a moment then what is important is what you are doing in that moment or what you are thinking.If you are responsible for taking care of them then you must also be willing to step into the moment. 

Some are thoughtful, some are heart-breaking, and some are indescribable!  But all are spontaneous, impetuous, sincere and full of emotion.  I am a student of human behavior with a special focus on vulnerable persons.  I study group dynamics and how people interact with each other and the challenges in their environment.  

This is not a job for everyone.  It helps to be able to thrive in chaos, make quick decisions, and appreciate small gestures.  And you must be able to multi-task because there is surely never just one thing going on.  But all of this is just human.  This is what happens to families who are pushed to the edge of the cliff through stress, caregiving, sleepless nights, insurance companies, role reversals, and travelling down completely uncharted territory. No two family situations are the same.  No two caregivers are the same.  But the thread that binds us all together is humanity.  When push comes to shove we all want the same thing, to express our needs and wants, to be heard, to be safe, and to be loved.  That is being simply and only human.