I recently did an interview with Jo Ellen Newman of Transforming Your Tomorrows. One of the first questions she asked made me tingle right down to my root.
“Who were you before you became a Caregiver?”
I had to pause and think back. Back before Jerry’s liver transplant. Before Florida. Back to Texas. Before his liver resection. Back to Southern California. I remember a feeling. Carefree. Busy. Focused. Both Jerry and I were grinding it out. Together we owned an asset management company and managed a portfolio of multi-family investment properties in three states. I traveled frequently, usually alone and had enjoyed little moments like eating my take out dinners in my pajamas in a sprawling king size bed. I love that food-in-bed feeling. Special. Giggly. A little naughty (because crumbs in bed is baaaddddd).
Jerry and I had our favorite Italian restaurant, walking distance from our townhome. A family owned place where we could slide up to the bar and the owner would say in his thick accent, “Erin, I have a-something special for you tonight,” and I would be presented with an off-menu chef creation of flavors that melted over my taste buds. I felt loved there. Cared for. Nurtured. Nourished.
We lived two blocks from the beach and while we took our location for granted majority of the year, each July 4th we would sip cocktails with our friends and watch the salt crusted prime rib spin around the barbecue rotisserie. We would laugh our way down to the jetty, climb up the rocks and watch the fireworks explode overhead in all their magnificent glory. That’s what my life was like.
Giggly. A little naughty. Nourished. Exploding with magnificence.
If you’re a Caregiver or a patient you always remember the moment your lives pivoted forever. For us it was a beautiful Southern California day. There was no smog. The sky was clear and bright blue, the sun glowing with warmth. I remember wondering how the day could be so perfect when we had just received such grim news. We sat in the car. Seatbelts on. Motor off. Staring straight ahead. There were no words. There were no tears. I looked over at Jerry and he said,
“Well, shit. I didn’t see that coming.”
Mark your calendar for the March 29 book launch event. It’s gonna be a good time and together we are going to launch Caregivers to bestseller status. Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter topic: The Patient Handbook.
With gratitude,
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P.S. Spread the love – invite a friend to join the journey! www.ErinCopelan.com