Sometimes Taking Care of Others Is Taking Care of Ourselves
Good afternoon from somewhere by the sea.
This summer looks a little different for me. I chose to be here because of my dog. I wanted a place where I could take care of him throughout the day, where he could be comfortable, where I could be close to him and where life could move at a rhythm that worked for both of us.
And somehow, in choosing what was right for him, I also chose something that was very right for me. The sea. My own kind of therapy. The space to slow down, breathe, swim, reset and simply be.
When Taking Care of Others Brings Us Back to Ourselves
We often speak about taking care of someone else as though it automatically means sacrificing something of ourselves. Our time, our freedom, our plans, our energy. But it does not always have to be seen that way.
Sometimes life asks us to adjust around someone we love. Sometimes taking care of others brings us back to ourselves in ways we never expected. And if we stop looking only at what that adjustment takes away, we might notice what it is giving us in return.
I came here because I wanted to be able to take care of my dog.
Because of him, I am spending my summer close to the sea.
Because of him, my days have a different rhythm.
Because of him, I am reminded to stay present.
And because of him, I found a way to take care of myself at the same time.
For that, I am grateful.
Caring Does Not Always Mean Losing Yourself
There is an important difference between caring for someone and abandoning yourself in the process. Love does not have to mean that one person receives while the other disappears. Perhaps the most beautiful kind of care is the kind that allows both to exist.
I can make sure that he has what he needs and still go into the sea. I can organise my day around taking care of him and still find moments that restore me. One does not necessarily cancel out the other. Sometimes they can coexist beautifully.
My Summer Sea Therapy
I call it my sea therapy because that is exactly how it feels. There is something about being in the water that changes my state almost immediately. The noise quiets down, the body softens and thoughts lose some of their importance.
For a little while, there is only the sea, the body, the breath and the present moment.
And perhaps self care does not always need to be something elaborate. Sometimes it is simply knowing what brings you back to yourself and making room for it within the life you already have.
Taking Care of Others Can Also Be an Act of Gratitude
I am grateful to my dog. Yes, I am the one taking care of him, but that does not mean that the giving moves in only one direction.
Sometimes the beings we care for quietly restructure our lives in ways that ultimately give something back to us. They slow us down. They change our priorities. They bring us into the present. They take us somewhere we might never have chosen for ourselves.
And then one day we look around and realise that perhaps we needed to be there too.
Maybe Care Is Not About Who Is Taking Care of Whom
So here we are. He gets me close by. I get my sea. We both get what we need.
And perhaps that is the thought I want to leave here from this particular summer. Sometimes taking care of someone else is also taking care of ourselves.
Not because caring should always benefit us. Not because love is a transaction. But because life has a beautiful way of allowing love, responsibility and our own wellbeing to exist in the same place.
Think about it.
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