Caring

As a noun, care means to handle with care as when a package is fragile.  As a verb, it means concerned about someone or something, giving attention to and having an interest in. We can care about anything from our car, to a plant, to a person or animal. For example, if we care for our car we handle the required maintenance and upkeep. For people and animals, we have caretakers and caregivers. A caretaker is one who maintains buildings, grounds, or animals. Caretakers, take care of.  When we are responsible for, help, assist, and attend to the needs of a child or dependent adult, we are called a caregiver, we give care. Also there are the professional caregivers, e.g., "he is under the care of his doctor." Care taking and care giving mean the same thing in the sense of managing and working by being actively involved in maintaining someone or something in good "working order." As well as being responsible for the safety and protection of. As a caregiver it means to be compassionate and sympathetic, to have respect and regard for. It can be said that the staff members, the personal care assistants, the certified nursing assistants, and so on are the heroes for those living a nursing facility, or having care at home. The word careful means cautious in one's actions and being mindful. It also means approaching things accurately and thoroughly. The opposite of care taking, care giving, and careful is careless: not paying attention to, negligent, reckless, unmindful, and having no concern. Different than careless, and yet not fitting the description of care, is carefree, which simply means without anxiety or worry, lighthearted, joyous, elated, and cheerful.  Goals are to have a careful and carefree caretaker and a careful and carefree caregiver. Another form of caring is to have affection, fondness, or a liking for, and everything from wanting strongly, to having a special preference. Caring has become so widespread that it is common to hear, "handle with "TLC," which stands for, tender loving care. There are so many ways we can care, so many people, animals, and things to give our attention to and be interested in.