When You Walk Into the Glass

I am a little embarrassed to even tell this story — but here it goes.

Early in COVID, I was working as nursing faculty at our local university. At the time, I was a fairly new faculty and even newer program director. Stress was high. The pressure was constant. The uncertainty of how we would graduate our nurses in the middle of a global pandemic felt immense.

Every day felt like urgency layered on top of urgency.

I was being pulled in different directions, running from one meeting to the next, trying to solve problems that had no clear roadmap. I was moving fast — faster than my usual New York pace — because everything felt critical and everything felt like it needed to be handled immediately.

One day, while doing exactly that, I walked right into the clear glass door while leaving our lab.

I would love to say I walked away with nothing more than my pride bruised…

but three stitches over my eye, courtesy of my eyeglasses, proved otherwise.

More Than Just a Door

It was not just about a glass door.

It was about moving so fast, so focused on what was next, that I failed to see what was right in front of me.

I did not trip because I was careless.

I walked into the glass because I was overwhelmed, overextended, and operating on constant urgency.

And I learned something important that day:

Even in the midst of responsibility, leadership, and crisis — I still needed to slow down and look up for what lay ahead.

The Caregiver’s Version of the Glass Door

Caregiving often looks exactly like that.

Running from appointment to appointment.

Managing medications, schedules, insurance, meals, emotions.

Thinking ten steps ahead because someone has to.

Caregivers move fast — not because they want to, but because they feel they must.

And in doing so, it becomes very easy to:

• Miss your own exhaustion
• Ignore subtle warning signs
• Push through moments that are asking for pause
• Walk straight into emotional, physical, or mental walls.

Not because you are failing —

but because you are carrying more than anyone was ever meant to carry alone.

The Blind Spot of “Just Getting Through”

So many caregivers live in survival mode.

Just get through today.

Just make it to the next appointment.

Just handle what is in front of me right now.

But survival mode has a cost.

When we never slow down or look up, we miss:

• What our body is asking for
• What our mind is signaling
• What our spirit needs
• What support might actually be available

And like that glass door, the things that end up hurting us most are often not dramatic —

they are invisible, silent, and standing right in our path. 

The Takeaway

Slowing down does not make you less devoted.

Pausing does not mean you are not doing enough.

Looking up does not mean you are losing focus.

It means you are choosing to care for yourself with the same compassion you offer others.

Because caregiving is not just about getting through the day —

it is about preserving yourself while you walk the journey.

Moving With Compassion

If you are caring for someone right now and feel like you are constantly rushing, constantly bracing, constantly pushing through — I want you to hear this gently:

You deserve moments to slow down.

You deserve to look up.

You deserve to notice what you might otherwise walk straight into.

Because sometimes the most dangerous obstacles are not loud or obvious —

they are clear, quiet, and right in front of us.

And caring for yourself is not a detour from caregiving.

It is part of it.

Stay Connected for Support

If this reflection resonates with you, I invite you to stay connected and supported:

Like and follow me on Facebook:

Tree of Life Health Consultant

Join my free Facebook group: Navigating the Caregiving Journey with Elena 

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Because caregiving is not just about doing — it is about being supported, seen, and walking the journey with compassion.