Thursday, May 19, 2011

Keeping it real....

The moment has come, I am now officially parenting my parents. Not in a total care sort of way, but in the please do not make that decision without me sort of way. Dad is in his 80s and Mom is close to that. The children and I are planning an upcoming weekend at their home and I am planning to do all the cooking, a lot of cleaning and clearing up a lot of issues while I am there.
For those of you that know me, you know that my parents and I have always had a tough relationship. For them, parenting a daughter who has more than a fair share of independence has been more than difficult. For me, I am finding it tough to be involved on a daily basis with people who know they need help, but want to maintain the workable distance we have come to find worked for us in the past.
I think I will throw myself a Welcome to the Sandwich Generation party. Salami on rye anyone?

4 comments:

RealMom4Life said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RealMom4Life said...

Deleted one from me - guess I should read my sentences first.

Well...we seriously need to ramp up the prayers here! Let me know when you've closed the loopholes and I'll get started right away.

You remind me how fortunte I am not to be in the sandwich generation. Another friend of mine is buried deep in it at the moment. Both sets of our parents are in their early to mid 60's. My in-laws still snowmobile, my mom still water skiis, my dad still keeps up with the kiddos too). I take some comfort in knowing that all our siblings would work things out together.

Peace to you on this journey. I know you folks don't live alone ... I pray that doesn't add to your work too.

ViolinMama said...

Sweetie...I could have written this post. My father is approaching 88, and my mom, 74. Blessedly, they live in a retirement community, but we still have to check in on them (of course! But, they and I do have a difficult relationship! I'm tried to see it as a generational difference (my father was 57 when I was born), me being the baby of the family and the apron strings are always tried to be tightened when I try to loosen them, and the fact I've never really lived far from them, or had that chance at independence before the sandwich generation started. So....I feel you, and I'm ramping up the prayers for you and yours!

Much love!!

Crunchy Momma said...

Thank you both. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your thoughts.

Violin, it also certainly helps to know I am not alone.