I have been blessed with a very full life. The chapter I am in now is being a part of the sandwich generation and I'm loving every minute of it. I have a wonderful family. I have 4 grown kids and son-in-laws that are the apple of my eye. They keep me in the loop, so I still feel very much a part of their lives. One is still in college, 2 are newly married, and my second daughter has a big wedding coming up this summer. I have my parents living close by. We visit often and check in on eachother daily. They are very good listeners. How much more sweet and exciting could life be?
Being a mom was really the only thing I wanted to be. Maybe that's why I never finished college. I couldn't find a career or a specific field of study that really got me excited. That and the fact I just had way too much fun. Remember, it was the '70's! So I quit school shortly after I got married, and concentrated on work and being a wife. Two years later I became a mom. I loved having babies, playing with kids, attending all the sporting events and school things, being a den mother, and planning birthday parties - the best time of my life. It went by so quickly. It's been quite an adjustment as they leave one at a time. I get teased because I seem to replace them with dogs. But it's not the same. I've shed many tears, but I have to remind myself that this is the way I want it to be. I want my children to be strong and happy, move on, and make their own lives. That makes me a successful mom - right?
I have the best parents in the whole world. They provided me a beautiful childhood, a happy home always, and support through all my chapters of life. I've never heard them exchange cross words. They have been the perfect example of a perfect marriage. Eight years ago, my father was diagnosed with Altzheimers. That was the saddest day of my life. My mother's heart and spirit was broken. She knew what lied ahead. This is not the first time for her. She took care of her own mother as she had the same horrible disease. My father's brother also died of Altzheimers. Modern medicine has slowed the progress quite a bit in comparison to other family members that didn't have that option years ago. So Dad is still with us. He's not the same man, but he tries so hard. Without the unconditional love from my mother, this would not be possible. My mother has become a very strong woman. She has many stories that would fill a book. It has been a beautiful experience to witness this love. What a gift!
And so, in the following entries I will reveal both sides of the bread in my sandwich. I will share moments and memories of my family; my children and my parents.
Being a mom was really the only thing I wanted to be. Maybe that's why I never finished college. I couldn't find a career or a specific field of study that really got me excited. That and the fact I just had way too much fun. Remember, it was the '70's! So I quit school shortly after I got married, and concentrated on work and being a wife. Two years later I became a mom. I loved having babies, playing with kids, attending all the sporting events and school things, being a den mother, and planning birthday parties - the best time of my life. It went by so quickly. It's been quite an adjustment as they leave one at a time. I get teased because I seem to replace them with dogs. But it's not the same. I've shed many tears, but I have to remind myself that this is the way I want it to be. I want my children to be strong and happy, move on, and make their own lives. That makes me a successful mom - right?
I have the best parents in the whole world. They provided me a beautiful childhood, a happy home always, and support through all my chapters of life. I've never heard them exchange cross words. They have been the perfect example of a perfect marriage. Eight years ago, my father was diagnosed with Altzheimers. That was the saddest day of my life. My mother's heart and spirit was broken. She knew what lied ahead. This is not the first time for her. She took care of her own mother as she had the same horrible disease. My father's brother also died of Altzheimers. Modern medicine has slowed the progress quite a bit in comparison to other family members that didn't have that option years ago. So Dad is still with us. He's not the same man, but he tries so hard. Without the unconditional love from my mother, this would not be possible. My mother has become a very strong woman. She has many stories that would fill a book. It has been a beautiful experience to witness this love. What a gift!
And so, in the following entries I will reveal both sides of the bread in my sandwich. I will share moments and memories of my family; my children and my parents.
