Mountain View News Saturday, October 3, 2026 
77SENIOR HAPPENINGS Mountain View News Saturday, October 3, 2026 
77SENIOR HAPPENINGS 
THE HIDDEN COST OF CAREGIVING: WHEN CARING 
FOR A LOVED ONE TAKES A TOLL ON YOUR HEALTH 

Caring for an aging parent, spouse, or loved one can be one of the most meaningful things we do. Butit can also come with a hidden cost: caregiver burnout. 

Many family caregivers gradually take on more responsibilities—managing medications, preparingmeals, driving to appointments, helping with bathing and dressing, handling fi-nances, and providingemotional support. When dementia or other health conditions are involved, caregiving can becomea 24-hour responsibility. 

Over time, the constant demands can take a toll on the caregiver’s own health. Caregivers mayexperience chronic stress, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, headaches, or changes in appetite and 
weight. Some may put off their own doctor appointments, exercise, social ac-tivities, or even basicself-care because their loved one’s needs always seem more im-portant. 

Sleep deprivation can be particularly challenging. A loved one who wakes frequently during thenight or needs assistance can leave a caregiver exhausted before the next day even be-gins. When thiscontinues for months or years, the caregiver may feel physically and emo-tionally depleted. 

One of the biggest problems is that caregivers often don't consider themselves caregivers—they seethemselves as a spouse, son, daughter, or other family member simply doing what needs to be done.
Asking for help can even make them feel guilty. 

But getting help is not a sign of failure. It is a way to protect both the caregiver and the per-sonreceiving care. 

Respite care, adult day programs, in-home assistance, support groups, and professional guidancecan provide caregivers with much-needed relief. Sometimes, even a few hours away can make asignificant difference. 

If you are caring for someone you love, remember this: your health matters, too. You can-notcontinually give from an empty tank. Taking care of yourself is not selfish—it is an im-portant partof taking care of your loved one. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS FUNNY 

I’m the kind of person who finds 

Once, as we were going to bed, before she turned

a sliver of humor in just about 

off the light, she saw a cockroach right under her

everything in life. If I can’t 

pillow. She had a screaming moment and then got

laugh, I guess I’m not awake yet. 

her shoe and tried to kill that old cockroach. 

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage is not on 

Upon getting rid of the cockroach, she looked at

board with my attitude. It takes her quite a while 

me and said, “Did you plant that cockroach under

to find something to laugh at. If only she could see 

my pillow?” 

my bathroom mirror in the morning, she couldfind something to laugh about. 

Of course I shook my head in the negative, butas I thought about it, that would’ve been a good

Several years ago, The Gracious Mistress of the 

plan for me to use. I had never thought of doing

Parsonage and I celebrated our birthdays which 

something like that. But it was another bullet in

are two days apart. We went to a restaurant 

my arsenal.

to celebrate. I told the waitress that we were 
celebrating our birthdays. 

Several weeks later, I thought about that. In thekitchen, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage

She looked at me, smiled, and said, “Tell me, sir, 

had a box of sugar-free cookies, and I was only

how does it feel to be old?” Then she laughed. 

allowed one per day. 
Of course, I laughed back at her, then reached 

I wanted my second sugar-free cookie, and I

across the table and began squeezing the arm of 

didn’t know how to get it without getting caught.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I looked 

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was in

back at the waitress and said, “It sure feels good.” 

the kitchen, and there was no way I could sneak inand get a cookie. So when I came into the kitchen,

The waitress and I were laughing, and the only 

I looked back down the hallway and said, “Oh, is

one not laughing was sitting across the table from 

that a cockroach down the hallway?” 

me. For some reason she didn’t think it was funny. 

I sounded serious, so she got up to get that

I worried she might bring it up on the way home, 

cockroach while I sneaked across the kitchen and

but she never did. 

picked out one more sugar-free cookie withoutbeing caught.

I always find ways to turn something around andlaugh at it. 

Coming back into the kitchen, she said, “I guess itgot away because I can’t find it.” 

Often, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonagewould start a conversation by saying, “I was 

After she said that, she looked at me, looked at the

thinking…” 

box of sugar-free cookies, and then looked back 
at me. She wasn't smiling; she was scowling and

Then, without thinking, I interrupted her and 

growling. She just stood there quietly for several

responded, “With what?” Then I would laugh 

minutes, just staring.

hysterically. 

I tried, but I couldn’t control myself, and I started

Of course, I was the only one laughing at the time. 

laughing.

She would look at me with one of “her looks,” and 
I could tell she was not laughing, even on the 

Then she said, “What do you think is so funny?” 

inside.

 “Oh, nothing,” I said, trying to control myself, “I

Laughing has been one of my hobbies throughout 

was just thinking of a joke.” 

life. If I can’t laugh, then what good is anything?
So I make it a practice to find something to laugh 

Still scowling, she stared at me and said, “I think I

about every day. 

know what joke you were thinking of.” 
After 55 years of marital bliss, I have had many 

At this point, I was going to ask her to explain

occasions to laugh. Even when people make fun 

what she meant because I was afraid she had

of me, I join in the laughter, which is all right with 

caught me. But the laughter was worth it. And I

me. 

enjoy laughter; it seems to lift my spirit. 
Driving across town last week, The Gracious 

Reflecting on this, I was reminded of one of my

Mistress of the Parsonage was driving the Sissy 

favorite Bible verses.

Van. 

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a

She was coming close to a red light, and being the 

broken spirit drieth the bones" (Proverbs 17:22).

knucklehead that I am, I said to her, “There’s a redlight, make sure you stop.” 

To me, no medicine is better than a “merry heart.”
Sometimes it takes effort to have a merry heart,

Looking at me, she said, “You think that is funny?” 

but it's worth it in the long run. The real challengeis knowing what I believe is funny. Sometimes I

I must’ve, because I was laughing then. She, on 

laugh at the wrong thing and suffer for it.

the other hand, was not laughing at all. Lookingat me, she said, “Would you like to walk home?” 

The one thing that The Gracious Mistress of theParsonage is afraid of is a cockroach. She sees one,
grabs her broom, and chases it until she can getrid of it. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! OCTOBER Birthdays* 


Gloria Schauer, Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg,
Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, Jill Frank, Cathleen Cremins, Adie Marshall,
Susan Gallagher, Maggie Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Ellen O’Leary, JennyPiangenti, Anita Thompson, Linda Boehm and Angela Stella *

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper 
at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com