I Love You...What's Your Name?

"One night I was putting him to bed and he said, I hope you're getting a lot less nookie that I am getting . It was priceless! And a few months ago, he was peeing on the rug right there in front of me and I was angry. I mean, there are times when it doesn't bother me if he's peeing on the rug and there are times when it makes me crazy. So I was on the floor cleaning it up and he was standing right there. And I was mad and I said (exasperated) do you ever have compassion for me! And he said, I do. Briefly and in small amounts . Of course that just broke the tension. So those kinds of things happen often enough that it's a balm for me. And he's sweet and he's affectionate and he knows who I am most of the time. One of his lines was I love you, what's your name ." In the past 25 years, caregiver stress and burden has been the subject of intense focus, while the effect of the experience of one's sense of self has received minimal attention. This book explores and describes how women create meaning in the caregiving role, how caregiving is integrated into a person's sense of self and the consequences of a caregiver's self-perception when it falls short of their ideal self.