subject: Are you the little engine who helps your aging parents? [print this page] Are you the little engine who helps your aging parents?
Are you in the sandwich generation? What experiences are you going through? Here's my story:
I recently had my performance evaluation with my supervisor. She has high expectations of me since I've worked in the senior care industry for over 10 years. There were several projects that I needed to complete before the year ended, but I hit a brick wall. Of course I did my part, but I relied on others to complete the task. My supervisor commented that I'm a self-motivated person and always excited about my work as a dietitian. She also noted that she wants me to keep growing and not wait for everybody else to get the job done.
My supervisor suggested that I "think outside the box" in order to get tasks completed.
I could have asked her, "Are you crazy?" Instead, I sat there and thought, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can". It helped that I had recently read The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper to my sons. If you haven't read this book, it's about a little engine that has to get out of her comfort zone to travel up over a huge mountain and haul a bunch of toys to all the boys and girls. There's quite a bit of overwhelming responsibility for that little engine. I feel like that little engine. In a nutshell, I'm overwhelmed.
I'm the little engine in this big world. I live in the sandwich generation, which means I have the responsibility to care for two generations: my children and my aging parents. My own project has been to collect all types of quality and trusted senior resources into one website. I'm helping my parents transition into retirement, which is a very stressful process. It's like an onion I'm slowly peeling off the skin and it gets really smelly as it goes on and on.
I'm learning how to tackle my aging parents' issues. I've decided to utilize my own skills and experiences to help others with similar struggles make this difficult time a bit easier.
