Don't Stumble on Something Behind You

From The Caregiver's Companion Vault

After four decades as a caregiver, I’ve had more 2 AM conversations with the ceiling fan than I can count.

While some caregivers wrestle with indecisiveness, every caregiver I’ve ever met — and that’s thousands — suffers from reruns.

The internal loop goes like this:
“If only I’d…”
“Why didn’t they…”
“I should’ve known…”

We don’t just make decisions — we autopsy every day.
And we carry the weight of those choices like a backpack we forgot to take off before bed.

Mistakes?
I’ve had ample time to make virtually every kind of caregiving mistake a person can make.

But here’s something I’ve learned the hard way
(and honestly, I can’t recall learning anything the easy way):
Don’t stumble on something behind you.

Grieve what went wrong.
Make amends when necessary.
Learn from it.
And then keep walking.

Proverbs puts it like this:
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” (Proverbs 4:25, ESV)

That verse isn’t just inspirational.
It’s how I make it to the next day — without tripping over the last one.

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Peter Rosenberger hosts the nationally syndicated radio program, Hope for the Caregiver. His newest book is titled "A Caregiver's Companion: Scriptures, Hymns, and 40 Years of Insights for Life's Toughest Role" (August 2025). PeterRosenberger.com