As Empowered Together's marketplace failed to gain traction, I wondered if I had moved too far away from my personal experience as a caregiver. Whatever came next, I wanted to be operating from a place of confidence around needs and possible supports.
Going all the way back to June, I heard about a friend who was working on a journal for folks in his community. I teared up as Justus read his poetry about food insecurity and shared how journaling could support people in the place he calls home. He and I daydreamed together about building ecosystems locally, he in Chicago and me in Connecticut.
While grinding away on the marketplace, I slowed down to pay attention to what was happening around me. Caregivers kept reaching out, wanting support for themselves and their kids. I facilitated a couple sessions for moms at the library and another session at Rare New England's annual conference. What a gift to witness parents' vulnerability, seeing their situations in new ways. It was also heart breaking to witness the parents who had never been appreciated for their efforts.
Journaling has been a mainstay on my journey of caring for my daughter who lives with a rare disease. While I've benefitted from therapy and from peer groups, processing in written form is the support that's always there and always financially within my reach. Over the past month, I've started collecting vignettes of that journey and pairing them with prompts. My hope is to offer a practical resource that parents and caregivers can turn to when they're seeking help. If all goes as planned, the journal will launch this spring. Stay tuned and subscribe to my newsletter to get the announcement when it goes live.
Comments