A wise person once asked me how I could take care of number two if I didn't take care of number one first.
I got a crash course in this when I became caregiver to my mother with Alzheimer's and dementia.
I learned how important it is to take care of number one when a person becomes a caregiver and begins living two lives, with things quickly becoming reversed and number one becoming the person we are caring for, while we regulate ourselves to number two, ... giving ourselves whatever time and energy is left over, which is usually not much.
But it is so important not to neglect ourselves, not to give up doing things that are good for us. Not to give up things we love or are passionate about, not to allow our lives to completely disappear into the care-giving role we've committed to.
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