Choose to Seek and Celebrate the Good
By Rachel Fong
“My child has made me a better person.”
This seemed like a simple line yet it spoke so much. When I heard this from a caregiver of a child with special needs, I was touched, inspired, and grateful.
We serve our dependents everyday, pouring our time, effort, care and love into their lives to support them and make them better. How precious and humbling it is, to see it from a different perspective, that our dependents have made us better, just by their presence in our lives and our journey with them.
Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. In tough seasons of caregiving when we are struggling and exhausted, the mindset of gratitude and appreciation can make a difference in our personal wellness and relationships.
I can choose to remember the meltdowns, the mess, the mistakes, the cries and screams, the demands and chaos, or I can choose to remember the tray of toy food that my young children prepared and served up to me with big smiles, just as I finished whipping up a quick meal for them in the midst of a million other things I had to do.
Thank you caregivers for your resilience, for always choosing to seek and celebrate the good in the midst of everyday challenges.
– Rachel Fong, Program & research executive (CAREbuddy & CAREwell), and caregiver of two children
Other Updates
CAREcottage Feature – Crochet With Love: A Crochet Interest Group
Crochet With Love is a crochet group for caregivers to crochet on a regular basis for respite care and charity.
CAREcottage Feature – YoungStarSG: Handcrafted Cards and Orange Enzyme Cleaners
YoungStarSG is a ground up initiative that helps youths/adults with autism to work from home, as a form of purposeful engagement and to earn an income.
CAREcottage Feature – Crochet_Connectz: Handmade Crochet Gifts
Hi, I’m Ling, a full-time caregiver and owner of Crochet_Connectz, an inclusive microbusiness that sells crochet, amigurumi and handcrafted gifts.
CAREcottage Feature – ausomesuds_sg: Shower Steamers
Punitha started ausomesuds_sg to engage Michael, her autistic son, functionally during his free time and allow him to earn pocket money.
CAREcottage Feature – The Shy Crafter: Polymer Clay Crafts
The Shy Crafter was inspired by caregiver Shylyn’s son, Isaac, who was diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) since he was 6 years old
CaringSG Seminar – Preparing for National Service (NS) for Enlistees with Special Needs on 17 Mar 2024
2023 was an amazing year of growth for CaringSG and the community we serve. Here’s a snapshot of the exciting programmes and events that caregivers and families benefited from in the past year!