A labour of love behind the scenes by Carine Human

The word labour for birth has always fascinated me. Birth sounds so beautiful and labour somewhat savage (a force of nature)? The term labour only started making sense with my first child’s birth. Behind the scenes, there were months of pregnancy and anticipation. When all goes well, those months just fly by. But the last phase of this journey takes hours of intense labour. Hours of time standing still, very few people aware but those involved are intensely aware, and nothing else matters. It’s pure devotion without choice.

The 1st of May is International Worker’s Day, or May Day, or Labour day. In South Africa we celebrate Worker’s Day, which commemorates the struggle for workers' rights and social justice. On this day many of us, me included, enjoyed a day off at home with our families. But, behind the scenes for many the show goes on.

Residents rise each morning, and we often aren’t aware of the great labour of love and care that just the morning routine expects. A labour of love is needed for every meal. Beyond the preparation, and consideration for special diets, there’s the physical support needed to ensure everyone enjoys good nutrition. Each cloth wiped with dignity, each nail clipped with care and caution, each little bit of physical, social, emotional and spiritual care happening on a daily basis often goes unseen, because it’s behind the scenes. As is each soft word of encouragement spoken, in dignity at home, in enterprises and in therapeutic activities, in medical care, in response to families.

Behind the scenes there might be a night without sleep or an interrupted night: for a resident, a carer/group home leader, a nurse, or the one caring for a sick calf or cow. Sometimes thoughts and dreams are listened to, sometimes incontinence managed, linen changed, cleaning done. Perhaps someone was showered, counselled or consoled, woken for medication or check-ins, tea made to comfort. Sometimes insomnia kicks in and tired turns into beyond tired. Sometimes a hand is held until the last breath. Pure devotion.

On public holidays and weekends, when most of us spend time with our families, many things still go on behind the scenes: cows are milked, milk is processed, cows and calves are fed, maintenance issues are attended to, and staff on duty do a full day’s work. The calling, work, blessing, yet labour of love which is done in our environment is not always seen, acknowledge, praised, celebrated or known. Nor does it ever end… it’s infinite. Which is profound yet fine, because – sometimes nothing else matters than the moment of labour we are in with whomever we’re with, blessed by it. We as management salute our staff. You are what makes Camphill the unique and sought after village it is.