If Meredith Grey Said It, It Must Be True

Welcome to Caregiver Friday!!

One of the things about television shows in syndication is the clips they show reminding you of those special moments.  I saw a clip from an old Grey’s Anatomy where Meredith, played by Ellen Pompeo, is standing on a vacant piece of land with a floor plan of house lit with candles.  Meredith turns to Derek (McDreamy) and says, “Let’s be extraordinary together instead of being ordinary separately”.  That’s an incredible statement to make in any relationship, but apply that to your relationship with the person you love who is facing a health challenge, see the power?

There is a synergistic energy that takes place in relationships.  It’s the exponential power that comes with love, memories, and compassion.  What can you accomplish together, as a couple?  How does your relationship create a united front on the path to health and healing?

I believe that being extraordinary together refers to so many levels of a relationship.  It’s about being able to tell someone you care about your biggest fears. It means that the person you’re caring for can be honest without being judged.  Each of you has a safe haven in the heart of the other…that’s extraordinary.

The problem in many relationships where a health challenge is present is the amnesia of the connection between the two of you.  There isn’t a lot of research on relationships where one person has a health challenge and the other is serving as a caregiver.  There are patient studies and caregiver studies, but what about the third party…the relationship.

The relationship is an energy force.  It has a life all its own.  The relationship is not only the ties that bind you together, but a life force you created with the other person.  It’s something that evolved over time and doesn’t diminish simply because an illness is present.  It does afford you the opportunity to make better decisions about how to care for the relationship.

What would make the relationship you have with the person your caring for extraordinary?  Are there snippets from your own past with this other person that made you feel larger than life?  How can you capitalize on those opportunities and memories to carry each of you forward on your own paths to health and healing.  You each have your own journey to wellness and at points along the path you come together and walk together.  During those moments on the same path you become extraordinary.  Take in those moments and experience them fully.  Experience your magnificence!