• When do you just say F&ck It?

    I had agreed to meet my grandmother early for Tuesday-night dinner. She expected a crowd of people to line up and wanted to make sure we got a good table. The food at the retirement community was usually underwhelming, and… Continue reading

  • The Mystery of the Blue & White Dog Lamp

    This was not an email I had on my bingo card for this year! Never did I think that the decision to move my grandmother from her independent apartment to assisted living would become gossip – a conspiracy theory –… Continue reading

  • . . . And Burner Phones

    Caregiving is hard. It is emotional. It is physically a lot of work. It is mentally exhausting. And caregivers need support. Desperately. I will NEVER tell any caregiver not to take all of the help. I will never discourage anyone… Continue reading

  • Remote Controls

    How did I not see it? The entire day was a flashing light or a big, waiving red flag telling me that something was wrong. But, at the time, I was happily oblivious and the call from the senior living… Continue reading

  • I am bad at this!

    This is my confession. I am a terrible caregiver. I am impatient and anxious to an absolutely ridiculous level. I am more than a little selfish. I have difficulty switching between tasks. And, to top it all off, I am… Continue reading

  • Duck

    I really thought that having dinner with my grandmother and her friends once a week in the dining room at her retirement home was going to be enough. My theory was partially correct, but also almost completely wrong. Weekly dinners… Continue reading

  • Sandwich or Half-Eaten Burrito?

    The term “Sandwich Generation” was coined in the early 1980s to refer to younger parents (in their 30s and 40s) who take care of not only their children, but also an aging parent.  Miller, D. (1981). “The ‘Sandwich’ Generation: Adult… Continue reading

  • I Know This is Not Where You Want to Be. . .

    I know this is not where you want to be, in the batting cage warming up a relief pitcher while the game is going on without you. I know you would rather be right over that fence in right field,… Continue reading

  • Write Your Own Stories

    These are my stories. I am keenly aware that these stories belong to others too; that other characters may see the events and conversations in these writings in a far different context than I do. Memories of these events may… Continue reading