Caregiving & caregiven

So Theophilus finds himself grand and in position of control from his caregiving position—which caregiver caregiving without monetary remuneration doesn’t feel that way? Volunteers typically do. People serving out of ministries and apostolates do. We are dealing with a payload here: semi-conscious somewhat, this distorted value system is all too normalized.

So Theophilus could have praised the physiology created by the creator God, the same physiology blessed by the incarnation of the emmanuel. Did he forget, did he forget how the woman with hemorrhage touched Jesus’ cloak? Jesus did not find the blood that was mixed with mucus, secretions, feasting bacteria and scraps of endometrial lining disgusting. Jesus has no problem with body discharges.

Theophilus could have put right that this was understood as much as it was understandable, that bladder and bowel misses very commonly start a lot younger than disclosed. And this is okay. Just that celebrities come out about cancers and depressions, dementias and addictions, but not about bladders and bowels. He could have affirmed that leaking and soiling are very much part of life as much as accidents and messes are integral part of kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, living rooms, churches, … And all these are okay.

Theophilus could have recognized the dignity that belonged to Brother Jean, and could have returned it to Brother Jean.

Formation and stints such as hospital experiences are meant to help us move out of ourselves, to smooth out rough ages. Not to reinforce our sense of supremacy over lives we size up as inferior.

Whether caregiving or caregiven, we are just as dignified. Most of the time, we simply take turns, as and when the time comes, at different stages of our life.

Whether caregiving as a family member or friend, as a volunteer or in ministry, whether hired and salaried or not, care can be given lovingly all the same and so deserves our appreciation all the same. Without discount. All just as honorable.