Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family CaregiversFelicidades,
101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice, and Bonding
We are excited to announce that we are working with Joan Lunden on this book, which will be published in March 2012. Joan is very passionate about this topic as she is the family member in charge of her mother's care.
Caring for a family member in need on an on-going basis is a very difficult task, whether the care is in your home, the patient's home, or an outside facility. It requires the caregiver to be patient, kind, compassionate and giving. And having a little humor doesn't hurt! Are you caring for a member of your family due to a chronic illness or long-term or permanent physical or mental disabilities? Did you move in with a family member to care for him or her due to old age or Alzheimer's? Are you part of the "sandwich" generation - caring for a parent and a child at the same time? Or are you the person receiving care from a family member? Your stories are important too.
We want to hear from you if you are caring for a member of your family or if you are a person receiving care from a family member. (Please know that we are in awe of professional caregivers, but for this book, we only want stories from family members caring for family members.) The true stories in this book will show how lives change when caregiving becomes your responsibility. They will inspire and support family members who are making sacrifices to make sure their loved ones are well cared for, whether in their own homes or elsewhere.
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
Please remember, we do not like "as told to" stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. Do not ghost write a story for someone else. If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the "Comments" section of the submission form.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.
The deadline date for story submissions is July 30, 2011.
Kathy :-)
Check out my new novel! MISS SCARLET'S SCHOOL OF PATTERNLESS SEWING
I'll look forward to this book next year. I am a "sort of " caregiver to my 88 year old mother. Of course, I'm on a 24/7 call, but usually, my time with her are on Mondays and Wedensdays, which I lovingly call, Miss Daisy Days, because I drive her around on her "mandados." She is still pretty independent since my father passed away almost 3 years ago, but she still needs help. My brother tends to the business needs and I, her personal needs. She can get pretty fiesty and sometimes be cruel, but my brother and I have to keep in mind she's 88 and all those little ideosyncronies are now exhaserbated by age...oey!!
ReplyDeleteShe is deaf as can be and doesn't wear her hearing aide except when she goes out or has company over. The special telephone for the deaf we ordered for her still doesn't ring loud enough and she sometimes accidentally will discharge the little emergency aparatus around her neck, having the company call her, with no answer, calling me and my racing to the house and having to explain to the EMT's that it's another false alarm!! I sometimes wonder if she's not doing it on purpose because she goes on about those good-looking young men!! LOL
I really don't think my story is anything compared to others that have had to completly leave their homes, jobs, friends, etc. to move in with their aging parents. I have a friend, who just sold her house in Dallas, had to leave her law practice and move here to El Paso to take care of her aging father...her mother passed away 3 months ago. People like her are the true heroes.
Georgina
finished my entry... having it edited before i submit it.. fingers toes and eyes crossed!
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