Emotional Endurance

As I’ve aged—and especially now, in what I refer to as the autumn of my life—I’ve noticed changes in my physical strength. Muscles tire more quickly, daily tasks require more energy, and my body no longer responds quite the way it once did.

Caregiving, of course, magnifies these shifts. It asks more of us—physically and emotionally—than we often imagined possible.

But there’s another kind of strength I’ve come to recognize. It’s quieter, less visible, and perhaps even more vital. It’s a strength I needed during my caregiving years but didn’t yet have a name for.