Sandwich Generation

Much is written about the sandwich generation - those of us who have assumed some level of care for our parents while we are still in the process of raising our own children and getting them out on their own. Mostly, when people talk about our situation, they focus on the negatives. Last month I stumbled across the positives.

Normally I would not be on my patio on a Kansas August evening, but I was grilling chicken breasts. This has been a totally atypical summer and it was pleasantly cool. I was nursing a gin and tonic and it occurred to me that I was very lucky. The meat I was cooking was for my father's 82nd birthday party. The next afternoon we were going to the airport to pick up Andy. What a privilege to have both my father and my son as a part of my life. At that moment the sandwich felt good. The gin and tonic helped!

I have a friend who must be considered a club sandwich. She looks after her 93 year old mother, helps her grown children with projects like painting and wallpapering in their houses, and spends a great deal of her time providing child care for her grandchildren. I am sure she loves it but that would be just too much for me. Still, it may seem like a privilege to her also.

The birthday part was great and Andy's visit was a lot of fun. Of course both went by too quickly.