Reflections of a Daughter of the Silent Generation and Mother of Generation Y
I knew I’d miss our Millennial kids when they went away to school; it hit me now, just how much I’d miss their Millennial friends as they set out on their next chapters too.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Under one roof – a tremendous relief – our whole family, even when it’s brief.
Truly, I’m glad they’re livin’ their dreams – still, it’s not always as great as it seems.
Keepin’ it simple, I miss ’em when they’re away – not said to hold ’em back, just to enjoy this day.
There’s nuthin’ in the world like our home when it’s full – the laughter, the fun, even the bull.
A rambunctious crowd – I’d have it no other way – this is our family, each with our say.
Monday will come, as will the Fall, we’ll rearrange, still we’ll always be all.
Under one roof – a tremendous relief – our whole family, even when it’s brief.
—from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Our ten-year-old, done with elementary school and on his way to middle school, sat at the kitchen counter one early summer morning,
“You know what I don’t get?” he said to me.
“They start preparing us to be big when we’re only three.
We go to pre-school to get ready for kindergarten,
To kindergarten to get ready for first grade,
To first grade to get ready for second,
Second to get ready for third,
Third to get ready for fourth,
Fourth to ready for fifth,
And fifth for sixth.
Now there’s sixth for seventh,
Seventh for eighth,
then eighth for ninth,
ninth for high school,
high school for college, and
college for your job.”
Our ten-year-old son, with the big blue eyes,
looked at me with clarity and asked,
“When does a three-year-old get to be three?”
—from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
As Siena turned 24, I thought I’d share some things about her that had held true since the start. She’s humorous and she humor’s us, most of the time. She loves the color blue and coffee talk. She can make anything fun, even exercise, just ask the animals.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
On hospital time, with Spring’s midwest prairie view, I google “haiku.”
Japanese poem, three lines of five, seven, five, nature inspires.
The lake with its geese, “attached by a stream to Maine”, reminds Mom of home.
We may wonder why, we reach for the sun each day…It’s the way we love.
Goslings in the yard, Mom would enjoy if she could – I see for us both.
Neighbor boy in boots, plops butt-first in the puddle, his Dad and I smile.
The dogs tug the leash – trees bud, flowers bloom, birds sing – we rejoice at life.
—from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
Fifteen hundred miles from home and I was still worried about Mom. The wild weather at sea turned out to be exactly what I needed—like Dad was taking care of me from above, dumping water on my head, changing things up, and reminding me to accept when I’m not in control, to ride it out, and to let myself have some spontaneous fun.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
With the cognitive change Mom was experiencing, time together didn’t need to be complex – the simpler, the better. An invite a day helped me offer her time to use her curiosity and sense of adventure so that hopefully she wouldn’t lose them.
—excerpt from Living Is for Living: A Caregiver’s Story
