What do you give a caregiver to show them you care and are thinking about them? What they want is more time and available hands to call when they are needed. But in our society, where the demand of our time far surpasses the supply, it’s a struggle to be that helper we want to […]
A Gift for the Overwhelmed Caregiver that Keeps Giving Read More »
‘We’re out of tricks.’ This is the phrase I used when talking to my two out-of-town sisters about the need to find a better living situation for mom…again. Mom has been in two different assisted living communities in the past year and half since my dad has passed. Neither place has been a fit and
A New Place for Mom Read More »
Profound, right? I thought so. This simple statement slapped me upside the head when I heard this from Dawn, the owner and creator of a nonprofit organization called ALOHA (A Life Of Healthy Aging). Dawn’s organization visits my mom’s new assisted living community monthly to offer support to resident’s families.
Dawn followed this statement with a question: ‘who is your mom?’ and challenged me to find out. I definitely know who I want her to be – I want her to be me! But, even though she has been my mom for 44 years, I still have some detective work to do in order to answer this question.
My BIG takeaway from my first family caregiver support meeting Read More »
While I’m appreciative of my holiday pasts, I also know that in this season of life that I’m in as a working family caregiver, I can’t expect to pull this off for my family. Perhaps some of you do, but I know the price is probably your own health and sanity. While my mom worked tirelessly to create a Waltons-like family holiday, I recognize that my family paid a price for this eventually.
How to minimize holiday stress and maximize holiday blessings Read More »
A guest post written by Sona Mehring, founder & CEO of Caringbridge.org
In 1998, my mother Bonnie was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer….
5 tips for supporting the caregiver in your life (which may be you!) Read More »
Over the kid’s fall break (which is earlier than most places since we start school the first week of August) we went to Ireland. We purchased the 6 night package last winter from Travel Zoo. The package included roundtrip flights from Atlanta to Dublin, one night in a hotel, 5 nights of bed & breakfast vouchers, our car rental, and a mobile Wi-Fi device(this little buddy is a MUST have on your trip as it works in cars, pubs, B&B, etc.!). My 15 year old daughter, Natalie,
An early holiday gift filled with Irish blessings – Our family trip to Ireland Read More »
Early in our marriage, may be even before we were married, Jason and I had agreed that we would always use some of our time off to have our own vacation. Coming from a big family, there are always events and family reunions to attend but it was important to us that we set aside focused family time together each year.
Traveling for family memories Read More »
Growing up, I never pictured myself as a working mom. I knew I would work before having kids but figured I’d be a stay home mom, like my mom. I know my husband probably feels responsible for me not being a stay home mom but frankly he’s not the reason I am still working.
A “sequencing” mom…
Are you a “sequencing” mom? Read More »
August 4th was the one year anniversary of my dad’s death. Rather than focusing on his last day, I am choosing to focus this post on the Saturday just prior to his passing, where we threw a party in the hospice room to celebrate his life. When I reflect on this memory, I feel so grateful that we had this opportunity to tell dad how much he meant to us, share memories, and prepare as a family to say good-bye. I know that many families have not had this opportunity.
How to truly celebrate a life Read More »
My family has two lake homes in Hubbard Lake, Michigan. For health reasons, my mom hasn’t been able to visit Michigan in a few years. My siblings and I were determined to get her there this year. We have dangled this trip in front of her as an incentive for her to take better care of her health and we wanted her to be around the extended family as many have not seen her since my dad’s memorial last fall. Thankfully, she was able to go. It took much preparation, and patience but I know in the end we are all glad we went.
Driving mom from Michigan to Georgia…it’s what you do. Read More »