A flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Lincoln, Nebraska leaves one with a lot of time for contemplation. For example, time to marvel at the corporate cooperation it takes to design every single airplane seat in such a manner as to create pain in the exact same region of one's derriere - no matter what the airline or aircraft.

Such a flight also allows me time to reflect upon the 20,000 plus caregivers I have met at our Fearless Caregiver conferences, as well as the caregivers at the hundreds of events such as the ones I am heading to in Nebraska. I have often thought about what these days represent as I conjure up all of those rooms filled with dedicated and committed family and professional caregivers. The simple answer is obviously, the sense of community created within the four walls of the conference centers, but much more that that, it is the shared wisdom of all in attendance.

In fact, these events remind me of what successful caregiving is all about. Just as we must endeavor to find the best possible solutions for our loved ones and stop at nothing to get our questions answered in our daily lives as family caregivers, so do the conference attendees. The Question and Answer panels are always so very successful due to the caliber of the experts on the panels who share their years of experience and caring with all in attendance, but I truly feel that the heart of any of these conferences have been the fact that the family
caregivers get together to answer each others questions and to share ourselves with one another...our questions, our fears and even our solutions. And in a Johnny Appleseed kind of way, I am pleased to be able to share these solutions and stories with caregivers in other cities. I have heard from so many people that they take these lessons out of the rooms and on into the other days during the year. Now, I think that's worth the trip, posterior pain and all.