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By Megan Barnett, director of spiritual integration

In May, my son, Jack, was born. Like many parents know, life with a young baby is wonderful, beautiful, and exhausting. Last week, Jack entered his four-month sleep regression a little early and decided that 2 a.m. was party time! He wasn’t screaming or angry, just awake and wanting to be with us.

By the weekend, my husband, David, and I were running on fumes. We canceled our plans, took turns napping, and spent intentional time resting and enjoying our son. We couldn’t eliminate the nighttime wakeups, but we could rest and refill our hearts for the week ahead.

On Monday morning, I noticed something surprising. The circumstances hadn’t changed, but I had. Because I had taken time to reset, I found myself able to enjoy those quiet early morning moments with my smiley little boy.

Megan laughs with her son, Jack.

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“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (KJV)

What is compassion fatigue?

The American Institute of Stress defines compassion fatigue, or empathy fatigue, as “the emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events.” It most often affects individuals who are continuously empathizing with those they serve. And in the wake of a pandemic, it seems to apply to many of us as we see and experience needs in our communities and around the world. Continue Reading…