My sister, Cris, and I have been talking a lot about the need to carve out time for ourselves, relax a little and do more of the things we enjoy doing. Managing our mother’s care and her house, as well as the rest of our busy lives, along with the stress and guilt that are so hard to push away, are exhausting. For me, reading is probably the easiest and most natural way to put aside my pressures and concerns, at least for a few minutes. This is a reflection that I had written for mariasmind. I have updated it to reflect how reading helps me as we continue with our lives, especially our caregiving journey.
In order for this blog to be an honest reflection of who I am and what I think, I must write about reading: my escape, my main source of knowledge and my sleeping pill. When filling out a questionnaire that asks about my hobbies, I always hesitate to put reading because, for me, it is so much more than that. During these past four years, as Cris and I have shared the work and the worries of taking care of our mother, reading has also been a mental break for me. It gives my brain a little rest from the ongoing stress and guilt and fatigue. I am grateful that I have this lifelong love of reading; it provides a brief escape, a recharging of energy and some relaxation.
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