“Have you heard of the sandwich generation,” my daughter asked me one day while she was taking a Life Span Development course in college.

“That would be me”, I replied.

Would you answer the same way? Do you have children still living at home? And parents who need your support and encouragement and care? Feeling the pull from those members of our families who need us puts us in the middle ~ the sandwich generation.

I am thrilled to have adult children who ask me for advice, who want to watch movies with my husband and I, who help fix dinner (from time to time) and want to improve their cooking skills before they head out on their own! And we so love spending as much time as possible with our two young grandchildren, Ellie and Luke, who live nearby.

I am also blessed that my parents are still in my life and encourage me, though we live thousands of miles apart. Just as I am getting older ~ though I choose not to dwell on that ~ my parents are aging quickly. They have medical issues that need attention and my dad is bravely battling Alzheimer’s Disease. I am thankful that my sister lives close enough to provide day to day care. But I am drawn to visit them as often as I can, and support my sister as well.

I have just recently returned from a 10 day trip to the east coast to spend time with family. The flying alone wears anyone out ~ wedged into small seats next to strangers, running to make connections that were not supposed to be that short, sleeping very little, if at all. Add in the time spent caring for parents, making decisions about their care and well-being, visits to doctors, meal planning, helping with cleaning, organizing and sorting through random boxes of memories ….. Many of you have been there or are there now. I am back home, but I am tired. A day to recover, and back to work, meal planning, sorting mail and paying bills. Life continues, doesn’t it.

Are you in the Sandwich Generation too? Who are you caring for? Are you caring for yourself? I would like to know! Sometimes it helps to know we are not the only ones! Leave a comment below.

Stay warm, Debby