It was fitting that I was given The Caregiver Oracle, a deck of 45 cards designed by nurse Jennifer Bower and filled with intuitive self-care guidance, during my last week of teaching middle school before summer. Each card in the deck contains a beautiful illustration; a title, such as “Fierce Presence”; and keywords to help people tap into what they need. There’s also a guidebook that contains practical ideas for applying the card’s suggestion to one’s own life, as well as journaling prompts. These cards are the perfect tool to easily work into life, whether you’re in a caregiving profession or just looking to take better care of yourself.
As a nurse for more than 20 years, working in acute care at Cottage Hospital for more than 15 years, and now a school nurse at the Riviera Ridge School, a position she took on during the pandemic (and where I also teach), Bower has a keen understanding of the importance of taking care of oneself in order to be able to show up for others. When her brother passed away unexpectedly eight years ago, she dove into a deep exploration of various healing modalities.
“I started to look for ways that I could heal from that and find a sense of peace with it,” Bower said. “I joined some women’s circles around town and tried to tap into my spirituality. I realized that there is a whole landscape of ways to connect to yourself out there.”