November is National Caregiver Month!

Welcome to November! This month we honor caregivers, and traditionally we think of caregivers as those who assist anyone with chronic or catastrophic illness. I’ve had that job! It is hard work, but can also bring great joy. To honor caregivers everywhere, the Heart of Hope bracelet benefiting Hospice and Care giving Programs debuts this month. It’s a beautiful combination of dusk sky and evergreen crystals. The prototype has received rave reviews!

This month, I’d like to expand the definition of care giving. As I did my research, I was amazed at how quickly my own horizons broadened. Here are just a few of the many caregivers in my life that I would like to publicly thank!


I LOVE my vet clinic!  Seriously!  For more than 20 years, Dr. Lenz, Dr. Bedros, Loretta and the rest of the staff have helped me through all of life’s ups and downs as I tried to be a good pet parent. Not only have they cared for my pets, but they have cared for me personally, by cheking in on me to make sure I was OK, and sending sympathy cards when I’ve lost one of my furry companions.


The majority of us find a hairdresser or barber and stick with them until they quit, retire or die. And I daresay most of us are very unhappy to have to look for a new one?! Month after month, they keep the threads of life straight for a myriad of customers. They celebrate all of the important moments in our lives and make sure we look our best. I am truly grateful to Alisa, who is responsible for my "red" and makes it very easy for me to put my best foot forward...on any occasion.


I am very fortunate to live in Northern California where the public transit is extensive, reasonably priced and very reliable. Every day, the WestCat bus drivers take the lives of thousands of riders into their hands and manage to dodge surly drivers, crazy motorcyclists and potholes the size of small lakes to deliver us safely to a designated spot, on time, making countless trips each day. Train operators herd thousands more into the equivalent of oversized tuna cans, And most of the time they manage to do it with a smile! I owe my sanity to these quiet and courageous road warriors!


Consider the barista who remembers that you take soy and honey in your morning chai latte, even if you don’t show up every single day – Thank you Laura, Belina and Jenn! In addition to my budding career as an artist/blogger, I work in technology, helping to build better software. I just finished a contract at Genentech and there is an amazing cafeteria on my campus – one that would make even the most serious foodies take notice! Steve and Dwayne and their team mates work hard to feed 500+ employees – around the clock. They have a wide variety of healthy alternatives (think...very proud moms!) to choose from, every day, catering to a very diverse customer base, culturally and in food preferences. And like good caregivers, they each listened – tailoring cafeteria style eating into a personal dining choice.  Extraordinary!


There are more…lots more! Pastors, nurses, childcare workers, grocery baggers, garbage collectors (where would we be without them!?). I think care giving can be re-framed as “giving care” and that can apply to so many people in your life. So…who takes care of you? Take a minute to post a thank you here!