It has been a long six months of not having a job. Even though I was -- desperately -- applying for any and all job opportunities, I was really afraid I would find a soul-sucking position in a call centre or in the middle of the madness of the holiday "shopping maul." There are fabulous people with great skills who thrive in those environments, but sadly I am not one of them. I need to be a human being relating to other human beings on a personal level. It's just who I am.
So you can imagine how thrilled I was on Monday afternoon to stumble across an ad reading "Honest caregiver wanted." I dropped an email with a few questions, and had an interview the next afternoon. By Wednesday night, I was working!
My client is a 90-year-old lady who is an absolute sweetheart. She has a great sense of humour and is sharp as a tack. I work the overnight shift, from 11:30 PM to 7:30 AM, and that has been a bit of an adjustment, but it's absolutely the perfect shift for me. Hubby is home asleep, so he doesn't need me, and if I have business-hour errands to run or hockey games to attend, then everything is over with by the time I have to go to work.
I have only worked two nights so far, but I am really enjoying it. She's truly a wonderful lady -- very loved -- and it's a tremendous feeling to know that you're being trusted with such a precious treasure. The last six months have really taken a toll on my well of self-worth, but it's being filled up again at an exuberant rate. I am happy, and I am happy to be appreciated for who I am, rather than trying to shave off parts of my Self in order to fit into a square hole. This family is so warm and welcoming. In some ways, I feel as if I've come home.
Friday, December 03, 2010
One Acquainted With the Night.
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5 comments:
All good... all excellent stuff, Karen!!!!!
Glad things are working out for you, my friend!!!!
Rosa
Karen,
So glad you have found this position. Sounds good for you. An early "Merry Christmas" gift for you and the family you are working for. Smiles and hugs.
Your new job does sound wonderful on several levels. I totally understand not fitting into a cookie cutter role. If you're like me, not only do you want to be appreciated for your own skill set, but you want to feel like you are making a difference, not just being an easy-to-replace cog in someone else's machine. I hope you have a few days off every few nights, though, as coping with a sleep deficit or even just lack of daylight could be hard on your health and well-being...
Ooh, graveyard shift can be rough. I did it at hotels in the 1980s, working on switchboard, and I was permanently sleep-deprived. But if you can get some shut-eye, and it sounds like you can if you're caretaking a geezer who sleeps at night, that's good. As for unemployment, I know exactly what you mean. I've been going through the same thing since January and I still don't know what I'm looking for. Thank god for blogs, eh?
It's good to hear you're enjoying your new position!
Oddly enough, the graveyard shift isn't bothering me that much at all. I think for once I've found a use for my Seasonal Affective Disorder -- my day-night rhythms are naturally so messed up that my body doesn't seem to care when I sleep at all.
I don't sleep at work, but once I get home, the dog and two cats join me for a nice long nap. And I love the quiet of working at night. I get so much thinking and planning done. Now that I'm used to where I'm working and have a set-up that works for me, I've got some time to really think about what I want and where I want to go with my life.
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