Striving for Patience

If you are a caregiver, then you know better than most how patience is needed every day. Thus far, I have spent almost two years helping my wife and her sister care remotely for my mother-in-law, with cross-country trips made as often as we can. She has 24/7 in-home assistance for multiple diagnoses. Overseeing her constant care from afar presents its own unique trials, and her many medical issues and increasing dementia raise one new problem after another.

The daily stress of monitoring my mother-in-law’s needs via computer cameras, phone, texts, etc., not only necessitate patience with her; it also requires my patience with her in-home caregivers and their scheduling office, visiting healthcare professionals and many others.

I find that impatience usually stems from my frustration with my inability to simply “fix” everything, which is clearly illogical, but nevertheless a constant desire. Often, I am tempted to be short with others as a means of diffusing my own frustration. Typically, this is not my conscious intent, but it is still a reality that can cause stress for the others involved in this team effort.

At such times, I not only ask God to help me be patient and gentle with others, but also with the person who likely frustrates me the most, the one I see in the mirror each morning! Being patient with myself helps my patience with others.