Buckets of Gratitude
By Padma Gordon
Caregiving has a way of narrowing your focus to what’s urgent, what’s broken, and what still needs to be fixed. The daily rhythm can become transactional—appointments, medications, meals, logistics, survival. And yet, within all of that, there is still a relationship breathing underneath the tasks. There is still love. Gratitude invites you to shift your attention, even briefly, from what’s not working to what is. When you begin to look for the good in your partner and the people supporting you, you start to feel the sincerity of their efforts and the purity of their intentions. What you focus on grows. So be intentional. The seeds you plant—your thoughts, your words, your attention—are shaping the garden of your relationships every single day.
Gratitude is not just something you think; it’s something you express and allow yourself to receive. As a caregiver, this can take practice. Pause before you speak. Ground yourself. Share appreciation in a way that can truly land—using language your partner can hear and take in. And just as important, practice receiving gratitude when it comes your way. If you tend to deflect or minimize it, notice that. There may be vulnerability underneath that resistance. Let it in anyway. Gratitude is a form of love, and it nourishes both the giver and the receiver. It also turns you back toward yourself, reminding you that you, too, are worthy of appreciation in the midst of all you are carrying.
If your connection has started to feel reduced to logistics, that’s your cue to tend to it more deliberately. Step outside the routine when you can—take a walk, share a quiet meal, slow down enough to actually be together. Relationships don’t sustain themselves on efficiency; they require presence. Listen actively. Reflect back what you hear. Acknowledge what your partner is holding, especially if they are managing symptoms, researching treatments, or carrying their own anxiety. And extend that same generosity toward yourself. Gratitude is a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. When you practice it in abundance, in small moments and big ones, you’ll find that your relationships feel richer, steadier, and more deeply rooted in love.
Coming Up Next Week: Stage 1 - When Something Isn’t Right: Staying calm and embodied as things change
This week our theme will be noticing changes. In the early stages of becoming a caregiver for your Rare child, you are asked to embrace many changes as you move from a full or part-time professional to a full-time caregiver. Feelings may arise including fear, guilt and possibly shame as you step into becoming an expert on your child’s Rare disease which can be overwhelming. In this session, we will explore simple ways to stay calm and grounded as you navigate your ever-changing life as a raregiver. Learn simple ways to regulate your nervous system. Join us for a potent and practical supportive session.
Please Join Us for the Women's Empowerment Circle every Tuesday at 10am PST.
You may not realize how much you need the Raregivers community until you find it.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84782918881
We look forward to being with you soon.
