Have you ever taken the time to reflect on how often you show care in your daily life? Can recognizing your attention and responsibility make you "care" about someone or something? Honestly, I know valued and purposeful, as care truly shapes our connections and actions.

Care means watchful attention, prudence, and diligence. Care is the opposite of negligence or carelessness, and the amount of care to be exercised in a particular situation is determined by standard of conduct which may be expected from a person in that situation

Of course, there is the daily stuff I care about like my family, friends, and my dog Sadie. I care about my health, the weather, my bank account balance, and I could go on and on. But I also care about the clients I work with and my co-workers. I care and worry about them. I can honestly and sincerely say that.

With my clients, it's a different kind of care and worry. I care that they lack shelter, food, and access to medical care, which inspires me to advocate for change and support those in need. Your care can also drive social awareness and action.

I care that they have no clothing and often have to wear the same clothing for an entire week. I care that they reach out for help, and no one answers back. I care that there is a severe lack of services and that it is only going to get worse. I care that someone is released from jail or prison every day and has nowhere to go. I care that there are women and children with no stable housing, clothing, or food.

Every time I hear or read that someone has been shot or killed or died from an overdose or got hit by a train, it might be a client, and I care. I worry, and I care. Did I do enough for them? Did I do everything I could for them? Did I really care enough? Or is it merely for media attention and about optics? Is it simply so I can feel that I did my good deed for the day? Some days I feel as if I haven't done enough.

I wonder about the agencies, both public and nonprofit, that receive funding but, in the end, do nothing. I care about that too. I care about the services that individuals have come to rely on, which are shutting down, and there is no one to fill that void. I care.

Do I care too much or not enough? Do I expect others to care as much as I do, or simply accept that some do the work for the accolades and not because they care? Do I do it for praise and recognition? No, I care because, like them, I am a human being, and at one time I needed someone to care, and they were there, and now it's my turn to be there for them.