Dear Friends
Lord, Teach Us to Play:
The Need to Have Fun
Week of June 11, 2018
Prayer Requests
Dear Friends,
When you’re caught up in the worries and demands of taking care of a loved one, it’s easy to overlook how important it is for your care-receiver to do something enjoyable. No matter how old we are, our emotional health depends a great deal on fun. Pleasurable activities are especially important when illness, depression, and grief dampen our spirits.
Unfortunately, sometimes when we need those good times the most, they’re the first things we eliminate. Finding and suggesting something that will be enjoyable for your care-receiver isn’t always easy. It can take imagination, work—and diplomacy.
These are some suggestions:
--Ask your loved one what he or she would like to do for fun. It’s important to ask, but realize that your question might be met with a less-than-enthusiastic response. When we’re out of practice, having fun can seem like a foolish idea. Whatever idea you come up with, no matter how great it may be, it could take quite a bit of persuasion over an extended period before your care-receiver is willing to give it a shot.
--Generate some ideas. What did your spouse used to like to do? Travel? Collect? Play sports? Read? Listen to music? What was her ideal vacation? What were her plans when she first retired? Obviously the time to do some of those things has passed. She won’t be touring Europe. She may not be up to attending plays at the local college. The challenge, then, is to find another way for your care-receiver to continue to enjoy what has interested her....
You can read the rest of this Topic here. And this is a list of all the Topics, in Word and PDF format.
As always, you and your loved ones remain in my prayers.
Bill
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This week we're so pleased to welcome Marilyn W. of Georgia and Kim W. of Pennsylvania as the newest members of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Please keep them and their intentions in your prayers. They have promised to pray for you and yours.
And again this week we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
You can:
sign up on-line here
or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
or
print and mail an application form.