Congratulations to Pam Blackburn! She has won the Natural Face of Caring contest by the Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics & Natural Awakenings AZ. You can see her highlighted in the August 2010 issue of Natural Awakenings AZ.
Pam is an adoptive mother/full-time caregiver; she has 4 adult children and a 15 yr. old, several of which have special needs. She has been a caregiver for as long as she can remember. Caregivers/adoptive parents are often the unnoticed caring, giving people. Pam's kids (who are mostly now young adults) stand at the forefront of her life. Combined, they face high-functioning autism, ADHD, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, anxiety, being wheelchair bound, non-verbal and requiring full-time hands-on care. Pam is with the kids almost 24/7, and her husband works a ton of hours to support the family. This means she doesn't have much "escape" or time to herself. Though Pam still continues caring, with a giving, positive spirit. Pam has given in her professional life as well. She is a Reiki Master Teacher, Massage Therapist, and Social Worker. To me, she is the epitome of what I call a "Caring Warrior". She is giving, caring, uplifting, and positive. Even when she's feeling overwhelmed, stressed and just needs some time to herself, she still manages to uplift others with her positive energy. She sees the good in people. And she helps others around her to have fun! She believes fun and joy are an essential part of life. Pam is constantly posting uplifting messages on Facebook and sharing her inspirational messages... (which amazes me, because if others were in her situation, they may be extremely depressed and downtrodden!) Here is something she recently posted on Facebook, which generated a ton of wonderful discussion about accepting ourselves and not placing limitations on ourselves as we age ... "I've noticed lately how many of us put limits on ourselves when in our hearts we know our possibilities are unlimited! I've seen many of my friends, as we 'age' setting limits because we feel we aren't young enough to start over...maybe we should be asking ourselves "What are we going to regret not having done when we're 90?" As long as we're alive we need to live!!" Pam recently created a blog/journal for her 2 nonverbal daughters. On Facebook, look up "Melissas Voice". There will also be 2 websites, www.mydaughtersvoice.com and www.ourfamilyvoice.com. Pam’s goal is to give her own family a voice, allow other families with special needs an opportunity to share their perspectives, and build an uplifting and supportive community. The blog will address special needs, adoption, the need for humor, different therapies such as occupational, physical and speech, etc. Pam’s hope is to give people a peek into the day to day life of a person who is almost completely dependent on someone else for all their basic needs. Pam is a perfect choice for the Natural Face of Caring. Her family is so lucky to have her, and so is everyone else whose lives Pam touches. Pam is absolutely beautiful, inside and out. Her inner beauty shines and radiates from her. -by Courtney Long, MSW, LC, CHt, Self-Care Specialist Owner of Caring for Your Spirit, LLC
