If you or a loved one has ever been ill and required the skills of a caregiver, you know how important this person is to the quality of life of both the one who is sick and his or her family. The work that these people do is hard, physically and emotionally. Unless we have lived their day first hand, most of us have no idea just how hard it is. If you have not had to experience such a relationship, count your blessings!

Friendship is a form of emotional caregiving. For me, this photo is the ultimate picture of friendship. My husband and our best friend visiting another friend who is in memory care. As the three of us support our declining friend, we also serve as caregivers for one another as watching someone experience Alzheimers is difficult for us.

We all have had some kind of caregiver in our lives, though perhaps not in the midst of serious illness. Parents, siblings, partners, co-workers, friends, even pets, serve as caregivers to us every day. Say thank you to them before you photograph them...and then say thank you again!

Who do you need to honor today for their caregiving?