Comments
and a poem from carers who have been on the breaks or the drop-ins
"The most important thing has been to be treated with so much kindness”
"Lots of good care and our own hearts enlarge"
"Out of the red....into the green
With outside space as good as I’ve seen
Lovely trees for me to hug
Honey’n barley cup
Feet on a rug,
RELAXING – not taxing
Cared for, not caring
Songs by the fireside and happily sharing"
Article about a Carers Break in Carers News
(Carers News is the newsletter of the Carers Centre in Brighton)
The weekend of the 1st July saw two VERY important things happening. One of them was the third Carer's Break at Rivendell Retreat Centre near Uckfield, run by the team from Brighton Buddhist Centre. We had perfect hot weather for the break, during which 15 carers lounged around in the sun or shade of the trees in the beautiful grounds of Rivendell, reading, chatting, snoozing or sunbathing, enjoying time to themselves - a simple luxury for most people, a major one for those who care for others. It wasn't just about doing nothing though; under the general theme of 'Taking Better Care of Ourselves', guests also learned some valuable relaxation and meditation techniques, tried some Tai Chi in the shade of a big oak tree, learned Shiatsu, and discovered the 'big kid within' while making fun collages, messing around with scissors and glue. Then there were some things that were just plain delicious treats - massage therapist Sonya offered everyone a massage, reflexology or aromatheraphy treatment; and there was no justification whatsoever for the cream tea served on the lawn on Saturday afternoon, which took just 20 minutes to demolish. That however, was only available to those who didn't sneak off to the local hostelry to watch the OTHER important thing that happened that weekend - the England v Portugal World Cup game. What a choice: lazing around in the gardens and then stuffing your mouth full of scones, jam and cream - or no cake and a crushing emotional disappointment...Tough call. But on the whole, a good time was had by all, with lots of laughter, and some tears shared. "It was so good to spend time with people I didn't have to explain myself to," as one woman said. "I haven't felt so looked after for years" said another.