Jeannine: Caregiver of the Year!

Jeannine With Her Mom, Lee

Jeannine and I are two peas in a pod while also often being polar opposites. One thing that is vastly different about us is that she hates to be the center of attention, and I don't mind it one bit.

So, I have taken it upon myself to brag about her and shout from the rooftops how freaking awesome my best friend is. (Seriously, I had to ask permission to even write this post!)

The two of us had one heck of a week at the end of October. On Monday the 27th, I saw Dr. ANS and got my crazy good news.

The next day, Jeannine called me to tell me her crazy good news:

She received a Caregiver of the Year award!

She was nominated by her co-workers and the prize is, drum roll please...a five day cruise specifically for caregivers. The company that gives the award will provide 40 hours of in-home caregiving while she is away. Her flight is paid for. She gets spending money on the trip. And she gets to take her best friend from college with her.

Jeannine has shown such amazing grace in the face of tremendous suffering and burdens. Sometimes I fear I forget to step back enough to really take into account how remarkable she is. Because, most days, she is what she has always been to me: my best friend.

She isn't 'Caregiving Jeannine' or 'Fundraising Jeannine' or 'Volunteer Jeannine'. She's just the constant in my life, grounding me, reminding to believe in myself, coaching me through whatever emotional feelings I'm having, and chatting with me about gossip and TV shows. 

But while she's still managing to be an incredibly present best friend, she's also doing something that most 38 year olds have no idea she is doing. And she's doing it with incredible sacrifice, patience, grace, love, perseverance and resilience.

Jeannine and I rejoiced a lot that last week in October. One of the things Jeannine has taught me is that no matter how down and out one of us is, we must rejoice in the other person's joys. 

It was absolutely INCREDIBLE for the two of us to have so much joy between us all at the same time. We've waited a long time for it.

You so deserve this award, my sister by choice. 

Blessings,

Emily