A powerful story

Yesterday I went to the Annual General Meeting of Solihull Carers Centre.

The Centre does wonderful work supporting carers who are looking after family members who are ill or who have some long term disability.

The carers who attended the meeting sang the praises of the staff of the Centre for giving them relief from their intense caring responsibilities – sometimes 24 hours per day 7 days per week. People usually provide this care from a sense of love, duty and obligation and very rarely do they get breaks.

The front row of the meeting had about ten seats with ‘reserved’ written on them for carers who had questions to ask of the Committee.

One carer summed up the emotional burden of caring and how it can take over your life until you become accustomed to losing your own identity. I was immensely moved by her words when she said;

‘I’ve never had ‘reserved’ in my life – you make me feel special. Since I discovered the Carers Centre I have the zest to carry on caring’

That just about sums up the world of a carer.

Powerful stuff!