Yesterday I sat in the sun. I watched the rain. I saw the hailstones. I felt the warmth. In one day all the seasons. Just as the weather changes, we change too. We flip from good to bad, from the mundane to the extraordinary, to moving forward to standing still and sometimes we feel we go backwards.

This week I spent most of my time searching for a new support worker for my daughter. I placed ads, scanned CV’s, called candidates, spoke to agencies and set up interviews. I let the process into my head, then meditated on patience. The right person is out there, I just have to find them.

We are losing someone who has been wonderful, kind and creative, who has been a friend to my daughter and a friend to me. She has brought joy, kindness and care into her work and while she must move forward, her loss has moved me to a sadly familiar place.

Some types of loss are universal, there are patterns of mourning, there is a shared understanding. The loss of a good carer is less understood. They have been by your side witnessing the good times but also the bad times. They have worked in your home, they have seen the unseen, that which might not be visible to your friends, your neighbours and even your family. They have seen the beauty but also the torment of my daughter’s life. When times are bad they show up.

The debt we owe to good carers is enormous. As a family our lives would be unmanageable without them. My daughter’s life has been enriched in so many ways by the love, the laughs, the walks, the yoga, the stretches, the hugs, the dancing, the music, the conversations and the fun.

Good care goes to the heart of being human. I have just asked our other team leader why she does the job and she answered, because I love it.

Care is an under-rated profession but in a world increasingly dependent on technology, isn’t it one we should be investing in? And I don’t just mean with money but also with recognition. Most of us will need to be looked after one day. Wouldn’t you rather be looked after by someone you like and respect rather than a robot or perhaps, no-one at all.

It is impossible to replicate a good carer and we wouldn’t want to. They each bring their own skills and their gifts, their love and care, they bring an openness to learn and my daughter, after all, is the best teacher.

So while I quietly mourn the loss of a beautiful team member I celebrate the fact we were lucky enough to know her and enjoy her company and support.

If you happen to know someone who might be able to fill that gap do let me know, so I too can move forward.