After A Month Of Showering My Mother With Love ... -

Shower her with love. But leave the bathroom door open. You need air, too. Have you ever experienced caregiver burnout while trying to be "the perfect child"? Let me know in the comments. Let’s talk about the hard part of love.

If you are currently drowning in the act of loving a parent, put down the guilt. You are allowed to be a human, not a hero. The greatest gift you can give your mother isn't your exhaustion—it's your presence. And you can't be present if you're passed out on the floor.

Showers are great—for a garden. But if you stand under a waterfall for 30 days straight, you get bruised by the force of the water. You get waterlogged. You lose your footing. After a month of showering my mother with love ...

That’s when I realized my mistake. I had mistaken martyrdom for love .

She squeezed my hand. "Honey," she said. "I don't need a shower. I just need a sip of water with you." Shower her with love

I drove her to every appointment, even the ones she insisted she could cancel. I cooked her favorite childhood meals (her mom’s chicken soup recipe, which takes three hours). I listened to the same stories about her neighbor’s cat for the 40th time without checking my phone. I bought her little gifts—a soft scarf, a puzzle book, a heated blanket.

Yesterday, I sat down with my mom. I apologized for snapping. I told her, "I love you so much that I broke myself trying to prove it. That wasn't fair to either of us." Have you ever experienced caregiver burnout while trying

We hear it all the time: Cherish your parents. Call your mother. Spoil her while you can.