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6,575 Days Later

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On a rain soaked South Florida day, way back in 1995, I was celebrating my Fourth of July holiday by watching the first issue of Today’s Caregiver magazine roll off the presses. I spent that weekend as I spent many others in the early days – delivering magazines to hospitals and other care facilities. It began a personal mission to spend time talking with our readers in order to ensure that we cover issues of importance to our fellow caregivers. To put it in perspective (other than saying that it was approximately 9,468,000 minutes ago):

William Jefferson Clinton was still in his first term as President of the United States and Barack Obama had yet to enter politics; to most people, SPAM was simply a canned lunchmeat; Facebook was two words as carphone and wristwatch were one. By the way, cameras had film and were separate from telephones. The phrase American Idol probably meant Sheryl Crow who won the 1995 Grammy Award® for “All I Want To Do,” Forrest Gump won the Academy Award®, and people still faxed.

We created Today’s Caregiver magazine as well as caregiver.com and the Fearless Caregiver Conferences as family caregivers who could not find the information we needed. We are happy for the information we have been able to share with our fellow caregivers. We are truly grateful for the kind words received from our readers over these past 18 years, but I really need to thank the experts from whom we have learned the most – you.

In reviewing these past 937 weeks of publishing, I am most appreciative of the articles, poems and stories that have been passed over the transom by family caregivers. No knock on the care professionals, journalists and writers who have graced our pages, but nothing compares to the heartfelt intimacy and wisdom of a story which is sent with the note, “I am not a writer, so don’t laugh; but I just had to share this story.” These are always the articles, poems and tips which get the most response for their spot-on advice and tremendously helpful insights. So keep those cards and letters (and e-mails) coming.