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 »
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 »
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 »
It’s hard to put into words what this season of my life feels like. This season where I’m being sandwiched between being the encouraging, present, and fun mom I want to be for my kids AND being the caring, respectful, and motivating daughter I want to be for my mom. Oh, yeah and somewhere in this mix I want to be a romantic, loving, and supportive wife and a fit and healthy woman who successfully juggles a full time rewarding career and builds a mission rich profitable business on the side! Feels crazy just writing it all out. Like you, I want it all and I want life to feel harmonious. It’s a big order to fill.
It’s like feeding a nest of hungry birds 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 »
You just never know what the day will bring. Each one is a new adventure. Here’s a diary of what happened today:
5:55 am – Rise and shine! Got up after one snooze even though I wanted two…my dog Shadow was ready to get up so he jumped from the bed when I turned to snooze the second time. Got up since he’ll just bug me until I do. Put workout clothes on that I had set out night before. Swallowed morning prescriptions and vitamins. Gave hubby a quick smooch and headed downstairs.
A day in the life of a sandwich generation mom Read More »
2014 will always be remembered for me as a rough year. Both of my parents have been chronically ill for at least the past decade and there have been many ups and downs but in 2014 their lives started to spiral. In the spring of 2014, my mom has hospitalized with pneumonia and incubated due to breathing complications with her COPD and thankfully surprised us all when she bounced back. We truly thought we were going to lose her. It took weeks in a hospital and a rehab facility and lots of support and prayer. During these difficult months, my family was introduced to an amazing site called caringbridge.org.
The ONE resource you need to initiate the power of prayer Read More »