How to Stay Sane During the Sandwich Phase

I get pretty vulnerable in this episode because it’s been an emotional week. Since my mom passed away almost seven years ago, my dad has been struggling emotionally and physically. Worrying about and caring for him while taking care of my own children puts me in a group called the sandwich generation. We are people in our 30s, 40s, or 50s, who are sandwiched in the middle of two generations. Last Friday my 78-year old dad fell and broke his neck. He’s doing well and there are no additional complications. He should be transferring to some type of rehabilitation facility soon. Over the past week, I’ve been driving back and forth to a hospital 35 miles away to sit with him and talk to doctors and nurses while also taking care of my kids and working. This experience has shown me what it feels like to truly be sandwiched. In today’s episode, I tell the story of how I came to be in this place and the lessons I’ve learned along the way with the goal of inspiring those of you in a similar situation. And if you’re not yet in this phase, I also offer advice to ensure you are fully appreciating the stage of life when your kids are young and you’re parents are still healthy. What a gift that is!