We're so excited to have Theresa Coomer join us for this episode in celebration of #MilitaryCaregiverMonth. You may remember we read an excerpt of Theresa's writing during episode 63. She's a mother, educator, caregiver, and author of the blog "Peanut Butter in My Purse, Vitamin C in My Pocket". 
Theresa is an example of a caregiver who knows she has limits, but also knows she can set them super high because she also has boundaries. 
It's not easy to set boundaries for yourself. As caregivers, we are programmed to say yes, to help others in any way we can, but boundaries are a necessary part of our own self-care. And we aren't just talking about boundaries with others, we're also talking about setting boundaries with yourself! Along with boundaries, caregivers need to weigh and adjust their expectations - boundaries and expectations go hand-in-hand. By setting AND keeping them, caregivers can find more enjoyment in their own lives. 
Does this happen overnight? Not a chance! It takes ongoing practice to acquire the right tools to build boundaries and realistically set expectations. And there will be trials and troubles along the way to finding yourself "well-adjusted", in fact, none of us really has the capability to maintain "well-adjusted" 100% of the time. This caregiver life is fluid, but the more we train ourselves to recognize the ebbs, the more easily we can go with the flow. 
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Thanks to everyone who is participating in our writing challenge! Don't forget to email your submissions for on-air reading to thiscaregiverlife@gmail.com. We just might have you as a guest on our show. Here's this episode's prompt:
-List the cultural texts that informed your childhood. (examples: nursery rhymes, lullabies, books, films, poems)
-Pick 1 and write about the significance it's had on your family storyline.