Reaching for anything that I could to fix the unfixable, I learned all I could about the correlation between diet and disease, manifesting with crystals, sound healing, and creating vision boards. Nothing was off the table. As I learned more, I implemented a strict diet for my parents and stripped their pantry of refined carbohydrates and products with trans fat. After discovering my dad’s secret stash of mini chocolate bars and gummy candy, I tossed them too, which resulted in a conversation about boundaries. "I don’t think you understand how important it is to watch what we eat," I told him, frustrated by the sudden role change. "I do know. I do," he said, on the verge of tears. It was then that I saw my dad as a fallible human being, terrified of losing his wife of nearly 50 years. I suddenly felt less like an adult showing up for my parents and more like a child who needed everyone to see it my way. At 31 years old, it occurred to me just how much I still had to learn about compassion. Caregiving teaches you things like that.