There are three boys in my family and they like to climb, so quite often we head for an indoor wall near us to go bouldering.
Bouldering is climbing without ropes, solving technical problems at no great height and with comforting safety mats in case of a fall. However, even though the walls aren’t that high and the mats are thick, it’s still my responsibility to take care of the boys and make sure they’re climbing safely.
And, mostly, I do; but I have to confess that occasionally, when I’m climbing myself, I do take my eye off the ball, usually thinking, ‘oh, they’ll be ok…’, and let them roam free.
‘Taking care’ of someone covers a multitude of things from ‘keeping an eye on the kids’ to performing all the necessary tasks – feeding, washing, changing – of those unable to do them alone.
What I do with the boys when they climb is, frankly, the opposite of what real carers do. For them, there is no possibility of taking their eye off the ball for a moment and their dedication and commitment is astonishing, from children who look after parents and siblings too ill or too young to be independent, to those whose partners or parents have come to the point of needing round the clock care, as a result of Alzheimer’s, for example, or stroke.
Christians believe that God provides a model of unwavering, selfless care. In Psalm 139 we get a glimpse of it:
‘You know when I sit down and when I rise up […] You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways […] You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.’
Psalm 139, 2-5
Charities like Comic Relief have recognized the need to offer similarly consistent support to young carers in particular, giving them a break from the relentless pressures of their role. Under the sort of stress they face every day, it’s important to remember that every carer needs to be cared for as well.
Of the climbing boys, Silas has stuck at it. He is amazing. There will be more of him later.