10/19/2026
A few days ago, I wrote a post called "The Side of Caregiving Nobody Puts on the Inspirational Posters." 511 COMMENTS. AND THEY ARE STILL COMING... I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION ABOUT CAREGIVING.
511 of you responded.
I read your comments. And some of them absolutely broke my heart.
One caregiver said, "Everyone always asks, how is your mom? No one ever asks how I am. Meanwhile, I feel like I'm dying inside."
Another said she'd just finished crying alone in the bathroom.
Someone else shared how tired she was of hearing how strong she was while nobody offered to give her even a 30-minute break.
And then there were the caregivers who admitted something so many are afraid to say out loud.
"I love them. I chose to care for them. But sometimes I feel angry, resentful, and trapped."
And you know what?
I GET IT.
After more than 36 years of caregiving, I understand those feelings more than I wish I did.
But here's what really struck me about those 511 comments.
So many of you weren't asking for advice. You were just relieved that someone finally understood.
You weren't looking for another reminder to practice self-care.
You weren't asking someone to tell you how lucky you are to still have your loved one.
And you certainly didn't need another person telling you how strong you are.
You wanted someone to acknowledge that caregiving can be incredibly lonely.
That love and resentment can exist at the same time.
That you can be grateful someone is still here and still grieve the life you thought you'd have.
That sometimes you don't want to do this anymore, even though you would never abandon the person you love.
That you can be surrounded by family and still feel completely alone.
And that sometimes the hardest part isn't even the caregiving itself.
It's feeling like nobody gives a damn about what it's doing to YOU.
Here's something I want you to understand.
Your feelings aren't the problem.
And you don't need to feel guilty for having them.
But you DO deserve more than simply surviving another day.
You deserve support. You deserve to have a life. You deserve to be heard, valued, and cared for, too.
And while I can't change every circumstance you're living in, I know from my own experience and the caregivers I coach that we CAN change how we live within those circumstances.
That's why I do what I do.
Not to teach you how to become better at sacrificing yourself.
But to help you stop believing that sacrificing yourself is the only way to be a good caregiver.
So I'm going to ask you something, and I hope you'll answer honestly.
Of all the things caregiving has taken from you, what's the one thing you wish someone would finally understand?
I'm listening. ❤️ Lynette