While reading JohnDBarry34's post, "I am so very tired and sad.", I realized that we all want and need to escape our responsibilities of caring for our loved one for awhile. It's normal when we feel trapped in a difficult situation, without being able to see the end of our duties. For many of us, the whole 24 hours are spent catering to our loved ones. Even though we love them, we want to leave at times, to cultivate our lives, enjoy and have fun.
So, my question is;
Where would you go? Would it be close to home, another city, around the world or out of this world. Close your eyes for a couple of minutes and let your mind journey to a happy place.
My "happy place" is the beach in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico. We used to go with friends when we lived there and we had such a good time. The sand was clean and fine grain, which felt great between the toes, the sun was warm with a faint ocean breeze, and you could wade out quite far in the ocean to catch little waves with the boogie boards. The pelicans would fly in formation high in the sky.
The ladies would set to work on making ceviche and the guys would bring out the Coronas. Everyone would sit under the canopy, eating, talking and laughing. After having our fill, more ocean time. At the end of the day we'd pile into our pickup, sandy and content.
I feel tears welling up in my eyes for the good memories. My heart longs to be there once more. On really hard caregiving days, I close my eyes for a minute and think back to the good times on that beach. It renews me for awhile, like a 2 minute vacation. It also gives me hope that it will still be there when all this madness is over. Hope is what keeps us going.
Your OP was beautiful and it touched me. I can recognize myself in your feelings.
That beach, it will always be there for you. I just wanted to say this.
I lived in that neighborhood for 20 years. We had a great group of friends in that neighborhood! We could walk to each other's house for parties, cook outs, holidays, sit on the porch with lanterns when we lost power due to storms, walk together to the store in snow storms, etc. Then it dawns on me that WE have ALL moved away. One friend moved to be nearer to her senior parents, another one got married, another moved to a one floor house....I get that....man, it makes me sad. But, oh, the memories. We sure did have great times for awhile. I hope to move back one day. But, I have a house in another area. I don't think it'll ever be like my real home though.
It was soooooo wonderful to be in my own home, even for a couple of hours! I missed the trees! They are golden and half-bare. Plus the kitten got to see where we REALLY live for the first time. He seemed to think it was the funnest place on earth! Which was awesome. Maybe he picked up my lifted mood. My friend and I are going to do more "home visits," for my sanity's sake, and so that the kitten knows our home.
I'm so glad I found this forum!
Our situation is that I am staying with mom, and there was no one at home (it's just me) to look after my older cat when I started doing it. (I have someone staying at my place now.) I got the kitten as a buddy for my older cat after I started staying with mom, as she lives 6 floors up and it's pretty boring for kitty with no trees or wildlife to watch (just the occasional pigeon!). Plus for my sanity! The kitten really lifts the overall mood around here. :-)