Best in the End

Just between us, let’s admit it. Caregiving is a lot of work. The needs of our loved ones can be physically and emotionally exhausting, especially if the caregiving stretches out over a few years. Or perhaps, you are like me—the guilt-ridden daughter who lived far away from her mother when she needed care. Believe me, the guilt is wearing too.

Though my mother understood I could not be there all the time, she still wanted me there all the time. I went to see her as often as I could, usually every few months. My sister-in-law Missy graciously stepped up to become Mom’s primary caregiver. I felt awful about it. “I’m so sorry. I know it should be me taking care of Mom,” I often lamented to Missy.

“God prepared me for this,” Missy told me. “I went through this with my own mother a few years ago. I know just what to do, and I love your mother.” It worked out for the best in the end because Missy did not mind telling Mom what to do and making her do it. The truth was that Mom took it much better coming from Missy than she ever did anything coming from me. One way or another, God arranges everything just right.