On Blogging and Pixie Dust- Looking Back and Looking Ahead
“Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin” (1977)
Walt Disney Television Animation
It has been six months since I began this blog, and since it is the beginning of a new year, it seemed like a good opportunity to reflect on my experience blogging thus far and what I would like to see in 2017.
I began my blog with the quote from Winnie the Pooh that you also see in this very moving clip.
“You are braver than you believe
Stronger than you seem
and Smarter than you think.”
Pretty insightful stuff from a kind little boy to that “willy nilly silly old bear!”
Disney has brought me happiness, entertainment, and even life lessons since I was a child, and it was a tremendous bond between my mom and me and then between Ben and me. Disney became an important source of inspiration and strength when I was a caregiver and in my grief. It has brought welcome joy and laughter when I did not believe it possible. I started this blog because I was working through grief, but also trying to make sense of my experiences in caregiving, and Disney played a pivotal role in this process. I wanted to share this with other caregivers and people in grief, to forge a dialogue to validate our feelings and support each other as we rediscover ourselves and reshape our lives. That remains a goal for 2017.
If you’ve been following Pixie Dust For Caregivers, you know that in my own experience, my husband, Ben, had ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease, and at the same time my father, Jacob, had cancer. During the crises, or the exhaustion- physical and/or emotional- I definitely did not feel brave, strong or smart. I often I felt like I was running in circles and going through motions to get through each event. But, saying that quote from Christopher Robin gave me something to hold on to. It became a kind of mantra for me and it never failed to make me smile. Say it. And say it again.
I do find that writing has helped me sort through a lot about caregiving, grief and my emotions. If you like to write, I recommend it as a way to gain some insight into yourself and your experiences. Blogging has been a very powerful way to connect with others, too.
Following is some of the pixie dust that my Disney friends have sprinkled on me, with links to the corresponding posts:
- No matter what the crises or waves of emotion, in caregiving and in grief I have to “Just keep swimming.”
- There have been, and continue to be, times when I have to think like Scar.
- Love is a song that never ends
- In caregiving and in grief, my emotions are often Tangled and they turn me Inside Out.
- Memories may at times be difficult, but they also provide much comfort.
- Grief is unpredictable and simple things like a song can trigger big emotions.
- It’s perfectly okay to admit that things are not fine.
- Faith is really important- in myself, in others, in the universe
- Gratitude and Perspective are very important super powers in managing caregiving and grief.
- Playing Pollyana’s “Glad Game” was a great reminder of how fortunate I am to have had such wonderful people in my life, despite the pain of losing them.
- Walt Disney not only had a brilliant creative mind, he had a world view that offered much inspiration to me as a caregiver and in grief.
Coming to understandings about caregiving and grief, and finding peace with my experiences, happens slowly and sometimes subtly. It is an unnerving and emotional process with dramatic, sudden, and surprising ups and downs. I have more moments of joy now, and those moments are still sprinkled with some guilt and discomfort. However, I am learning and striving to find ways carry Ben and my dad in my heart as I continue to live. As Christopher Robin tells Pooh in this clip, even though my loved ones and I are not together, they are always with me.
I have communicated with many interesting people at various stages of caregiving and grief. We have found comfort and insight from experiences we’ve shared. I continue to learn and I thank readers who have shared their thoughts. I hope that 2017 brings new revelations and understandings as I continue to seek new ways to honor the memory of my loved ones and to bring new joy, peace, laughter and love into my life.
What do you wish for yourself? Please let me know in the comment section below. If you don’t see the box, click on the title of this post. Thank you!
January 11, 2017 @ 8:09 pm
Oh Abby!! Beautifully expressed as always! Sometimes, no most times, you help me so much. Wish I could help you as much! Prayers!
January 12, 2017 @ 9:04 am
Thank you so much, Jan. I am honored to know that I help you! Please keep in touch! You are in my thoughts.
How Iago Has Helped Me Through Difficult Times in Caregiving and Grief – Pixie Dust for Caregivers
January 28, 2018 @ 6:26 pm
[…] Throughout my life, I have generally thought of myself as a crybaby, very squeamish, and not physically or emotionally strong. I had a hard time comprehending why people told me that I was brave, when I was not the one facing death, though I have come to understand what was perceived as my bravery. I will always believe that caregiving was the most important and loving thing I have ever done, but it was also intensely difficult, devastating and exhausting. This is probably why I relate to Christopher Robin’s quote, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you feel and smarter than you think.” […]