Shortly after my grandson turned three, he got up one night to use the bathroom by himself (an important accomplishment for a three-year-old.) Midway down the dark hallway, he called out to his Dad for help. "What’s wrong, son?" My son said to him. "You know how to go to the bathroom by yourself now."
My grandson gazed around the dark hallway and said, "Well, Daddy, I’m a little bit brave of the dark, but I’m a little bit scared of the dark, too."
When I heard this story, all I could think was how true it is about all of us. We’re all a little bit brave of the dark and we’re all a little bit terrified as well. In the middle of the darkness in our lives, we may even think about calling out for our mothers or fathers so they may ease our terror.
Caregivers often hear these cries for help. They rise from the throats of those who are living a time of pain that can be terribly lonely…
We can hear and respond to these needs by being present to the heart break they represent. As we walk the many dark corridors of our lives, we know we need to be brave. But, it’s a great comfort when one of our fellow travelers across this life is willing to lean down and join us in the middle of our nightmares.
Where does courage come from? We can talk all we want about faith. And faith is, perhaps, our deepest refuge. Meanwhile, the kindness of caregivers is the vessel that can help carry us through the roughest seas.
You, as a caregiver, can make an enormous impact on the lives of sufferers by lending your presence as well as your skill. That presence may be all that is needed to tell another they are not alone.
Thank you for what you do to help others brave the dark.
-Erie Chapman
Journal of Sacred Work 
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