Taking care of an elder, especially a parent can be extremely rewarding, but it also requires fortitude and determination.
Below we’ve compiled a list of inspirational quotes to pin on the fridge or on your bathroom mirror for those days when you need some extra support. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a paid professional or a kinship caregiver, these inspirational quotes will help lift your spirits and keep you going even on those super-difficult days.
Use the list below to give yourself a boost of support whenever you need it.
Quotes to Pick up the Spirits of the Parents’ Caregivers
“An inconvenience is an adventure that’s been wrongly considered.”
“Where anxiety begins, faith ends. Where faith begins, anxiety ends.”
“Be determined to deal with any challenge you encounter in life in a way that will make you grow.”
“Caregiving calls us to lean into love in ways we didn’t know was possible.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act that we make toward others: it’s an attitude.”
“Caregiving sometimes smolders over time as the kindling of long-held, petty grievances into an incense of pure creativity and humour.”
“A mountain is most easily surmounted by taking winding paths.”
“If you fight fire with fire, you may end up with nothing but ashes.”
“The greatest discovery I’ve ever made is that a man can change his life simply by changing his attitude.”
“Compassion makes us pause, and for a moment we become better people.”
“As a caregiver, if you keep your problems a secret, other people will believe the worst and fail to see the beauty in the process.”
“Embrace a caregiving perspective that looks forward to the years ahead with excitement rather than disenchantment.”
“The power of intuition and empathic understanding when caring for another person will guard both you and them against harm.”
“You become strong, courageous, and confident through every experience where you must stop, face your fears, and do the things that you believe that you can’t do.”
“As a caregiver, you must remind yourself daily that the only control you have is over the changes that you make in your life.”
“Laughter and good sleep are the best cures for anything.”
“Sometimes asking for help is the only way to demonstrate true courage and self-reliance.”
“It isn’t the amount that you carry that wears you out, but rather the way that you carry the load.”
“If you are unable to change the outcome, you can still change your attitude.”
“There will be days when you won’t have a song to sing. Sing anyway.”
“Your smile is the bright light in your window that shows others that you care and share your kindness.”
“Don’t stop believing that only a few caring people can change the world, because indeed, it is only a few people who ever have.”
“Don’t ever underestimate your problem or your ability to solve it.”
“The challenges of life are not intended to stop you in your tracks; they’re supposed to help you find out who you really are.”
“Remain patient and give all your respect to our beloved seniors; they have earned their dignity through their lifetimes.”
“Help support and care for the bodies of your elderly parents, because it’s the only body they have to live in.”
“Family is not only an important thing; it’s everything.”
“No matter what you’ve done in your lifetime, if you can’t reflect on how you’ve given love and attention to your own family, what have you truly accomplished?”
“No matter your age, it will always be true that it is best to hold hands and stay in a group whenever you step out into the world.”
“One person caring for another is life’s greatest value.”
“There are four kinds of people in the world: People who have been caregivers, people who are caregivers now, people who will become caregivers in the future, and people who are going to need a caregiver.”
“Experiencing deep love from someone gives you strength, while loving another person deeply gives you courage.”
“Love intends only one thing: the well-being of the one who is loved. It leaves everything else to take care of itself. Love, therefore, is a reward in and of itself.”
“Compassion invites you to relate with people differently because you no longer regard them as a drain on your energy.”
“To provide care for the people who once cared for us is one of life’s greatest honors.”
“I believe that most caregivers find themselves in a situation that evolves naturally into caregiving by necessity and through love.”
“Caring about others is a heroic act by itself.”
“Love your parents and be ready to care for them. Many adult children are so busy growing up that they forget that their parents are growing old at the same time.”
“The most precious things you can give to your parents are time, love, and care.”
“Care for your parents with love and respect, for you will only understand their full value when you see their empty chair.”
“To love a person truly is to see all of their magical qualities and to remind them of what makes them special when they’ve forgotten.”
“Caregiving for an elderly parent is an ongoing learning experience.”
“When you’re wrapped up in the 24/7 caregiving job, it’s easy to forget that the person you’re caring for is required to be more resourceful than you in many ways.”
“Your parents cared for you when you were young; care for them now that they are old.”
“Remember to be patient. Consider how you will want someone to treat you when you are old and the time has come for you to have a caregiver!”
“Some caregivers step into the role of caring for their elderly parents because they want to reciprocate the care they received as children.”
“Even though people who are experiencing dementia become unable to recount what has just happened to them, they still go through the present-tense experience—just without recall.”
“Relationships created out of obligation often fail to be as rewarding as those created out of love.”
“Caregiving for sick, elderly parents, taking the chance to feel, and leaving an impact on the people you love most, brings happiness.”
“One person caring for another is a representation of what is most important in life.”
“I suggest that all of my friends and acquaintances discuss caregiving with their elderly parents and with family members while their parents remain healthy and clear-minded.”
“I love you, and I get to love myself more too by loving you.”
“ Caregiving is about being a companion, not a superior. It doesn’t matter whether the person we’re caring for is experiencing cancer, dementia, the flu, or grief.”
“We all know in our hearts that caregiving is an expression of the fact that we’re all connected. What I do for you, I do for me.”
“When you care for someone else, you care for yourself too.”
“When you show yourself love, you broaden the capacity to love the person you’re caring for more.”
“Caregivers draw other caregivers to themselves, and thus live their lives in a loving community. They become energized with the caring of others and love life.”
“It isn’t as important how much you do as it is how much love you have in your heart when you are doing it.”
“Worrying will not prevent tomorrow’s problems, it will only take away the joy of today.”
“You can’t choose when or how you’re going to die. You only get to decide how you’ll live your life.”
“Your elderly parents may not be able to remember what you said to them, but they will never forget how it made them feel.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that the happiest and most satisfied people are those who have committed themselves to something more significant than only their own self-interest.”
“People have two hands; one hand is for helping themselves in times of need, and the other is for helping those they love.”
“Kindness can transform a person’s darkest moment with a flash of light. You may never know how significant your caring is to the person you’re caring for. Choose to make a difference for someone else every day.”
“If you want other people to be happy, be compassionate. If you want to be happy yourself, continue to be compassionate.”
“It doesn’t matter what the relationship is between the parent and the child, it will always be challenging because it is neither rational nor logical. You cannot deal with it directly or with reason alone. What I’ve said to many people is that we must always lead with our love for the people we care for.”
“We may frequently underestimate the power of a gentle touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest caring act, but all of these gestures have the ability to change a life for the better.”
“To be a mindful caregiver, you must communicate intentionally and with compassion.”
