Friction and Feelings

February 18, 2026

Hi there!

I’m Erna, the author of Care Fully.

My caregiver journey started over 20 years ago, when I was 21 years old. As a newly minted college graduate, my life was just beginning. I had no idea how to deal with the ups, downs, and in-betweens of caregiving for my Mother.

Care Fully is a play on words. The questions I am asked and the questions I still have drive each issue of this newsletter.

We “care fully” by balancing our needs as a caregivers with those we provide care for. My goal is to offer up experiences and information to support your caregiving needs.

If this edition was forwarded to you, please sign up for your own copy here. And, if you’re looking for ideas to spotlight or support caregiving in your company, reach out to me at [email protected].

Today, we’re chatting about:

  • Balance.

  • Events.

  • Resources.

BALANCE

I chatted with a colleague the other day and I shared my days are spent balancing friction and feelings. The phrase summarized a large portion of my caregiving experience.

During my journey, much of my time was spent in problem solving mode. This is also how I learned about my Mother’s illnesses. My aim was to understand her needs to find the best care possible.

Caregiving was and is a balancing exercise. I can’t say I did the best job balancing my own needs, but I made sure my Mom’s feelings and needs were addressed. To say it was a lot is an understatement.

Care Fully is my way of drawing attention to the need for that balance. And, I make it a point to emphasize any days of caregiver recognition as part of that balance.

This Friday, February 20th, is National Caregiver Day. I use this time to reflect on balance, caregiver stories, and information that might be helpful to caregivers. You can use that time to ensure you take some time for you and/or to check on the other caregivers in your life.

Below are a few things to keep in mind. Hopefully, they address some of the friction you might be dealing with as a caregiver. As always, please share.

EVENTS

  • “Caregiving for the Caregiver Webinar: Protecting Your Heart While Caring for Someone Else” Webinar. February is Heart Awareness Month. This webinar discusses heart health in easy to understand language. Register here. 

  • “Caring for People with Memory Loss” Conference will be on Saturday, May 30th. You’ll receive information, support, and education for those caring for people with memory loss. Learn more.

RESOURCES

  • Read about Jacquelyn, who became a caregiver at 29. Later this week, you hear her story directly on our Whole Caregiver podcast.

  • Keep this playlist of mindfulness tools handy.

  • This year’s Cost of Care report is live. If you are curious about the life of a sandwich caregiver, or you are looking for stats to build a case for caregiver support in your organization, this report can help.

TILL NEXT TIME 

Thanks for reading my newsletter. I appreciate you and would like if you could:

🫶 Share Care Fully with a friend using this link.

📧Email me at [email protected] if you’d like to plan something for the caregivers in your community or caregiving employees in your organization.