There are just some truths we can’t avoid in life. We are all in need of being cared for at some point and we will all take a turn providing care for others. I think my friends and family would say that I have always been they type of person to care for others. In that same spirit, I decided to become a clinical social worker where my job has been caring for others.
When Eric was diagnosed with Brain Cancer and passed away nearly four years ago now, I found myself in unfamiliar and honestly uncomfortable territory…I was the one who needed caring for. While it was easy for me to accept help for my daughter Lily, who was only 7 at the time, I resisted help. In theory I knew that it was totally acceptable to be CaredFOR…still I struggled. Grief quickly forced me to move beyond my resistance and hesitation to accepting help and what I experienced was truly overwhelming. Friends, colleagues, family and even people I didn’t know came out of the woodwork to help me. My family members jumped in and figured out a plan to help me care for Lily. Close friends and family helped me plan for and participate in Eric’s memorial service. Still other friends and colleagues devised a plan to deliver groceries and prepared meals to us 2 to 3 times per week for several months. My best girlfriends took turns getting me out of the house once a week to lift my spirits.
I hear from our CareCONNECTORS all the time that many of the cancer patients we serve through the Care Box Program are hesitant to ask for help because many of them have spent their lives caring for others. The ColorCancer team designed these terms to remind us all that it it takes the power of community to provide cancer support and care:
I am extremely grateful for all of the support I received in the days, weeks, months and years after Eric’s death. Experiencing the warmth and generosity while I was a caredFOR makes me thrilled to be a part of the ColorCancer Team. Everyday I get to take a turn returning the favor by being a part of this incredible program that provides free at-home care supplies to cancer patients in need in the Greater Austin Area.
Lisa Keefauver
