I have written about my sister Kellie before since she is a caregiver on a daily basis in her job as well as when my Dad had cancer. She also did a guest blog post about her career as a child life specialist (check it out here https://www.therightreliefinc.org/post/child-life-specialist-perspective-guest-blogger).
Another piece of "inspiration" I got from Kellie is through her work with Relay for Life. She participated in high school and then in college at UW-Madison she was on the committee with the campus group. She helped plan and run the event every April that she was a student (while of course also taking a million credits and working). I joined a few times and always left in awe of the dedication of the committee, the enthusiasm of the participants and the stories of survivors.
One of the cool things that Relay for Life does at their events is display luminaries. They are white bags with candles inside and then decorated with patients names. They can be in honor of someone or in memory of a loved one who passed away. I thought about the "wording" of these luminaries when coming up with the idea for Right Relief Meal Sponsorship. I kept asking the tough "why?" question. Why should people sponsor a meal? Why is this important to others besides me?
Here is the answer: Pretty much every time I bake I think of my Mom because she loves to bake and taught me most everything I know about it. When I cook eggs/pancakes/french toast I think of my Dad because it was one of his favorite things to do on a weekend morning. Making lasagnas or other caregiver meals similarly reminds me of eating 5,475 meals with my family in my childhood home.
The purpose of The Right Relief Meal Sponsorship is to let others express, honor and share their memories of meals with family or caregivers they know. While you may not be able to sit down and eat with a loved one who has passed away, you can provide another caregiver that experience through the meal sponsorship. It is the ultimate "pay-it-forward" gesture.
Check out our website to honor/remember an important caregiver or loved one in your life.
Share this post with others who may get some relief from doing the same thing!
