Caregiving opportunities happen simultaneously.

"If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey,

most of us would never start out at all."

(Dan Rather with Peter Wyden in "I Remember")

Imagine this senario. My friend (Patty), like many of you, is presently taking two turns at caregiving simultaneously. Her mother, who will be 101 years old in June had to move in with Patty after she fell and suffered a neck fracture. Yesterday, Patty's husband was hospitalized for a hip replacement. Consequently, Patty's been running back and forth between her house and the hospital trying to take care of the two people she loves most in the world. Yet, feeling that she is not doing a very good job for either.

In Baby Boomers I wrote about Patty and suggested she could be the Poster Child for Family Caregivers and the Sandwich Generation. The sandwich she's in more resembles a Dagwood Special than a simple boomer sandwich. Patty, like millions of you, is sandwiched between caring for her mother, a daughter still at home, working, planning for her own retirement, and now taking care of her husband.

For those of you who can well relate to the sandwich Patty's in, you might be happy to know there are many things you can do to lighten your load and lift your burdens.

The first thing is to recognize and accept that you have a choice about how you experience your role as caregiver. Caregiving is not inherently joyful, nor is it inherently burdensome. The entire process of caregiving is absolutely netural. You are wonderfully free to choose how you experience your role of caregiver.

I will be writing more about this during the next several days. Please remember to post your questions and comments. I truly want to know how I can help you and your loved ones as you take your turn!

Sincerely,

Sandra- Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation

www.BabyBoomersSandwich.com www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon