For thirty days each June, the color purple seems to appear everywhere. Social media fills with statistics, ribbons, walks, webinars, and reminders to "start the conversation." For a little while, caregivers might even feel like the rest of the world finally notices the road they've been walking all along.

Being someone's spouse, son, daughter, or closest family member does not automatically give you the legal authority to make decisions on their behalf. I didn't know that. Maybe you didn't either. Let's talk about why that matters.

Years ago, my mother cared for me through a life-changing medical setback. Today, she doesn't remember any of it. That reality helped remind me of an important truth: caregiving was never meant to be about recognition. It's about something deeper.