Caregiving: Bearing Witness

 Recently I watched Elizabeth Gilbert’s Moth Radio Lab talk  at her Facebook page on being the caregiver for her partner, Rayya Elias in the last year of her life. It is both very funny and extremely poignant, taking twists and turns that are unexpected. You think it’s going down a very maudlin path but end up hearing one of the funniest bits of the whole talk.

I definitely recommend listening to her talk, but if possible, use the Facebook link and watch it. 

 Ultimately Gilbert’s talk highlights that as a caregiver, we must allow them to be who they are and not the story we create for them. We can’t script it but we can bear witness to it and in that way is assures them that they and their story is not only being heard, they will be remembered and shared. It also assures them they are not alone.

As Maya Angelou wrote “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.”  By listening and bearing witness, their story is no longer untold.