Me and my dad

This is a picture of me and my dad at my wedding ten years ago. Like many little girls, I dreamt about my wedding day and the big part of that picture was having my dad walk me down the aisle. He was so proud that day - mostly because it was first time he ever wore a tux! My dad and I always had a special relationship. I would call him my D.O.D. (Dear Old Dad) and I was his D.D.D. (Dearest Darling Daughter). He was always ready to wipe a tear when I fell off my bike or had my heart broken. He is also known for his storytelling and dry sense of humor.

Little did I know at the time how much everything would change. While getting married and starting a family is a big change in of itself, I had no idea of the larger responsibilities ahead of me. About five years from this picture, I started the journey of not only caring for the family I started with my husband and two children but the family I came from.

I found myself in the "sandwich generation"; defined as a generation of people, typically in their thirties or forties, responsible for bringing up their own children and for the care of their aging parents. I often feel more like a panini being squished between the two.

It was five years ago that I lost my mother. It was not totally unexpected but not expected at the same time, if that makes sense. The combination of a chronic illness and a tough winter of seasonal viruses overcame her. My mom was 13 years younger than my dad. And it was expected that she would outlive him and would care for him as he aged. My parents did not plan for any other outcome. The outfall of that had landed on me.

I decided to start writing and sharing about my experiences because I know I am not alone in this. The more I talk with people, the more I realize that the sandwich generation is a very real phenomena. Yet, I have seen little out there for support or advice. I wanted to share not to have a pity party but perhaps to reach others who are also facing the challenges (and joys, too) of raising children while caring for an aging parent. And trying to do it all - build a career, maintain a relationship with your spouse, have a social life, etc. Thank you for joining me on this journey.