Regina Gall, mother and carer of three young children.
Putting intuition over perfection and social beliefs
Regina, how do you feel about taking on so much responsibility for the care and support of your loved ones?
It means a lot to me to be able to accompany my children on what I hope will be a long journey through life. In general, helping people who are close to you is a very nice feeling.
Especially when you know that if you need help yourself, you are not alone. As much as I have respect for the huge responsibility, I also believe that all family members need each other.
It’s also nice to see that your own work bears fruit. That the children are happy, self-confident, and you just know they’ll get by in life. I also get a lot back from caring for my aunt, even though it’s sometimes exhausting. It’s amazing when you realize someone is regaining their strength because you helped them.
"I listen to my gut and get away from this whole textbook family thing. Instead, I consciously look at how everyone is doing."
How do you usually balance your caregiving duties with other day-to-day responsibilities? Do you find it easy or difficult to take on this additional role?
I think it’s only possible if you stop thinking you have to be perfect. As a mother, you have to be aware that not everything always works like it should; that not every day will be great. And you shouldn’t expect that you have to please everyone. There will always be someone who falls short! Mostly it’s me *laughs* or my husband - or both of us.
Our home doesn’t always have to be super tidy, seasonally decorated, and there don’t have to be freshly baked cookies. That’s not what life’s about.