30 Inspirational Quotes for Family Caregivers

To paraphrase a Bette Midler song, caregivers are the wind beneath the wings of their loved ones. While taking care of an elderly loved one is fulfilling, the truth is that caregiving is often difficult. I have firsthand knowledge of both the joys and trials. My great-uncle George came to live with our family after his wife’s death and a nasty fall left him alone and bereft. Due to a lifelong bond with my mother, my parents took him into our home.

Uncle George was a sweet soul who never complained about the pain that accompanied his Parkinson’s Disease. As our family took on the daily challenges of battling his failing health, he spent the last years of his life filling our home with daily songs and laughter. It was an amazing trade-off as I watched my parents sacrifice their time, their hobbies, and their sleep to make his last years on this earth happy. Here are some quotes that best describe the experience of caregiving.

“Caregiving calls us to lean into love in ways we didn’t know were possible.” – Unknown

It was never a part of their plan. Caregiving cold-called my parents. And when it called, they had no idea what lay ahead. They didn’t know that it would be one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding, calls they’d ever answer. 

“Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters.” – Amy Leigh Mercree

When Uncle George lost his wife and his independence, he was in a very dark place. I can only imagine how much light shone into his heart when my parents asked him to come to live with us. 

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker

My mother spent part of every summer visiting her Aunt Eda and Uncle George, who owned an ice cream stand. Uncle George loved people, and people loved him. He was proud to have his young niece by his side as she helped with the business. She looked forward to those summers on their small farm and relished being in their care.

“To love a person is to see all of their magic, and to remind them of it when they have forgotten.” – Anonymous

When he came to live with us, Uncle George hadn’t played checkers or other board games in years. He played checkers like Bobby Fischer played chess. Even though he always beat me, I loved that he regained a measure of pride in showing a college whippersnapper that he hadn’t lost his skills.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia

Some people are just special. Uncle George was one of them. His love and gratitude left an indelible impression on our family. 

“Caregiving is a constant learning experience.” – Vivian Frazier

Uncle George had stories within him. Life experiences. Like the time he ran away when he was in elementary school to–you guessed it–join the circus.

“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” – Rosalyn Carter

I truly believe that I chose to be a social worker out of compassion and respect for Uncle George.

“Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.” – Mason Cooley

One game that Uncle George never won was Trivial Pursuit. Many times, he gave wrong answers that I pretended he got right. While I’m normally competitive, I didn’t have the heart to correct a man who had lived three times longer than I had.

“It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

On days when my parents had appointments or engagements, family or friends were there to step up and provide them with a much-deserved respite and casseroles and desserts. Those gifts were worth their weight in gold for my mother. 

“The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” – Jamie Calandriello

There were bad days. Uncle George had a series of small strokes toward the end of his life. On those days, he saw snakes in his oatmeal and would spend all day in bed. But he was valiant. He didn’t stay down long. 

“Laughter and good sleep are the best cures for anything.” – Unknown

We delighted in teasing my uncle, who had an amazing sense of humor. He loved it. So did I.

“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Uncle George loved my father, and the feeling was mutual. They weren’t blood relatives, but it didn’t matter. Uncle George had lost a wife and a baby boy in childbirth. My father had lost his father as a child. They bonded over the losses they’d both endured.

“There will be days when you won’t have a song to sing. Sing anyway.” – Anonymous

The only times I ever knew Uncle George was in pain was when he wore a grimace instead of a smile. He never complained. Not once. 

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live.” – Joan Baez 

One of Uncle George’s favorite expressions was: “Heaven is my home, but I’m not homesick.” I knew he lived with the pain of Parkinson’s Disease and missed his wife. Uncle George taught me just how wonderful life can be.

“Put one foot in front of the other, no matter what.” – Eleanor Brownn

Toward the end of Uncle George’s life, my father was working days and losing sleep many nights. Dad never let his fatigue show.

“Physical strength is measured by what we can carry; spiritual by what we can bear.” – Unknown

My father lost his mother and Uncle George within one month. I was married two months later. Dad once told me he would cry out to God while in the fields on his tractor.  

“Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.” – Harold Kushner

I hadn’t planned on losing my heart to an eighty-year-old. I think it happened the first time I sat down and played a game with him. He had me at “Yahtzee!” 

“Doctors diagnose, nurses heal, and caregivers make sense of it all.” – Brett H. Lewis

Uncle George’s doctor became a dear friend to my family after he made regular house calls. This, too, was a great gift to my caregiving parents.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Saint Teresa

One day, I was leaving for church in my Sunday best. Uncle George told me I was pretty. You remember a sincere compliment. That one was.

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” – Margaret Mead  

One winter, our horse had a deep cut above its hoof. The injury needed treatment several times a day and once at night for weeks. Uncle George’s health was declining. He needed care, as well.  My mother managed to care for both man and beast. Her strength amazed me.

“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Theresa

At times, Parkinson’s made it difficult for Uncle George to eat as his appetite waned. But he always had room for chocolate meringue pie. It was a staple in our refrigerator. 

“God gave burdens; he also gave shoulders.” – Yiddish Proverb

Dad’s greatest emotional burden wasn’t being a caregiver. It was the fear that one day, he’d no longer be physically able to care for Uncle George.

“One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.” – Jim Rohn  

I met my neighbor every morning for a horse ride. One day, Uncle George and my Yahtzee game took too long. She wasn’t pleased, but I didn’t care. Any time with Uncle George was time well spent.

“Caring for our seniors is perhaps the greatest responsibility we have. Those who walked before us have given so much and made possible the life we all enjoy.” – Senator John Hoeven

Uncle George was a veteran who enlisted in WWII voluntarily while in his mid-thirties and served as an Army medic.

“There will come a time when your loved one is gone, and you will find comfort in the fact that you were their caregiver.” – Karen Coetzer

He entered our home as an uncle and left as a father, grandfather, and dear friend.

“To be a guest in someone’s home as a caregiver requires great trust. It is truly an honor.” – Robert G. 

Uncle George traveled six hundred miles and arrived at a farm larger than the one he was selling. His first steps into our farmhouse took him to a wide screened porch–much like the breezeway at home he’d loved. Uncle George adjusted to his new home at warp speed. He was always so grateful.

“All things are possible—even miracles—for those who believe in the power of love.” – Jasmine Cabanaw

When Uncle George suffered mild strokes, he became confused. One time, he insisted he needed to get dressed for my wedding. What he didn’t know was that I had just become engaged a few days before. Uncle George, who had a whirlwind romance with my aunt, believed in the power of love.

“The simple act of caring is Heroic.” – Edward Albert

The day my parents brought Uncle George home, they were heroes. A few years later, in my eyes, they graduated to wearing capes. 

“Although the days are busy and the workload is always growing, there are still those special moments when someone says or does something and you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. That’s why I became a nurse.” – Diane McKenty  

Dad was in his mid-forties when he became Uncle George’s main caregiver. Uncle George expressed his love and gratitude by surprising my dad with a new John Deere farm tractor. My father had never received such a generous gift. To this day, the tractor is still at the farm.

“The day the roles reverse is foreign. It’s a clumsy dance of love and responsibility, not wanting to cross any lines of respect. It’s honoring this person who gave their life to you…and taking their fragile body in your hands like a newborn, tending to their every need.” – Lisa Goich-Andreadis

Uncle George died in his sleep in his bed at our farm. Before his death, my parents had feared that, due to his worsening Parkinson’s Disease and increasing mini-strokes, they might have to consider nursing home care. On that spring morning that Uncle George didn’t greet him with his cheery hello, Dad thanked God for entrusting him with the care of the finest man he’d ever known.