Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Branson, MO Trip

Last week, my wife and I drove to Branson, MO to pick up our 11 year old, Mary Kate. She had been attending Kanakuk Kamp. We left about 5:30 Wednesday morning and made it to Branson around 3 p.m. It was about a 440 mile drive.

We checked into our hotel and then drove to the Kamp. Mary Kate attended K-1 and there are several other Kamps in the same area. I was impressed with how well organized Kanakuk was. Although there was lots of traffic, there were people directing it along with numerous signs telling us how to get to the parking for K-1. The parking lot (an open field) was staffed with several young men who directed the vehicles into an area to pick up the trunks and other items the kids had taken to Kamp. Everything was in order by cabin and it was very easy to find Mary Kate's trunk and the young men were willing to help load the trunk. After loading MK's items, a different group of young men directed us into a parking space, ensuring we all parked in a line and very close together.

We walked to the Kamp. Since this was our first time there, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. There were lots of kids and parents milling around. The Kamp was very clean. It took us awhile to find Mary Kate, but when we did, she came running to us. It is the first time she had been away from home for such a long time. She was happy to see us and very excited to share her Kamp experiences. She introduced us to her counselors and her cabin mates. We walked to her cabin and the counselors shared a brief story about each girl listing two attributes for each one, read a bible verse they had chosen for each girl and then presented a certificate.

While the Kampers were having dinner at Kamp, we drove back into Branson for dinner. We ate at the Farm House Restaurant. I had delicious Blackberry cobbler. We returned to Kamp and sat with Mary Kate during the closing ceremonies. It was sweltering hot and the sound system wasn't very good, but it was great to see the video of what the kids had done. After the closing ceremonies, Mary Kate returned to her cabin and we went back to our hotel.

Thursday morning, we drove back to Kamp and picked up Mary Kate. She had asked us not to eat breakfast before we picked her up so we went to the Belgian Waffle and Pancake House for breakfast.

We had Mary Kate help us decide what shows we should see. We decided to go to a dinner show Thursday night at the Osmond Theater and a Friday afternoon show of the Shanghai Circus Acrobats from China.

It had been 13 years since we had visited Branson. It has aged in that time and not all that gracefully. There are several closed theaters in town and almost all of the hotels and motels displayed vacancy signs. We drove around the area trying to find some of the places we had visited on our previous trips.

We drove past Segway of Southern Missouri. We stopped to check it out. It has a track, similar to a go kart track. It costs $20 for about 25 minutes of riding. Mary Kate and I both signed up. They gave us helmets to wear and brief instructions on how to ride. Very simple and intuitive. The Segways are set not to exceed 5 MPH. After about 2 minutes of riding, you realize how slow 5 MPH is. In spite of the slow speed, Mary Kate and I had a blast! After completing our ride, we were given a "speeding ticket". It allowed us to have the Segways set at 12.5 MPH on a return visit.

We returned to the hotel and got ready for our dinner show at the Osmond Theater. The dinner was surprisingly very good. We took our seats for the show which were in the first row, right in the middle. Great seats but also an indication of how much business is off in Branson since we had only purchased our tickets earlier that day.

The show was the Magnificent Variety Show. The performers were extremely talented and put on a terrific show. It was truly great family fun. It was so nice to be entertained and not once feel uneasy that my 11 year old was in the audience with me.

Mary Kate and I were excited to ride the Segways at the faster speed. We got up early to go back to the Segway place while giving Mom some time to herself. Again we were given helmets to wear and Segways that had a maximum speed of 12.5 MPH. What a difference? We had a wonderful time. I can't wait to take the whole family on Segways on another trip.

We went to Mr. G's Chicago Pizza for lunch. We ordered the Tony Orlando salad for 2 and realized that an order for 1 would have been enough to feed the 3 of us. It was an antipasto with a delicious Italian dressing. We ordered a pan pizza. When it arrived, it was just like we had eaten last summer on our vacation in Chicago. Outstanding meal.

That afternoon, we attended the Acrobats of China show. What a phenomenal display of athletic talent and ability. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show.

That evening, we went to Shorty Small's for dinner. The food was outstanding. I had some of the best ribs I've ever eaten. They were delicious and fell off the bone. Unfortunately, the air conditioning wasn't working properly and it was very hot and uncomfortable in the restaurant.

After dinner, we stopped at Andy's Frozen Custard for the 2nd evening in a row. Tonight, I had a blackberry concrete. Hmmm! Hmmm!!

Saturday morning we ate at the hotel and then headed home. We decided to stop in Eureka Springs, AR. It took us about an hour and 30 minutes to get to Eureka Springs. Eureka Springs is a wonderful town. We walked along the streets looking in the various shops. I found an art gallery, the Susan Morrison Signature Gallery, I had visited 20 years ago when I had visited Eureka Springs by myself. On that earlier visit, I had purchased 5 prints, 4 of which are still hanging in our home. I also purchased an autographed book from her. I remember her showing me pictures in the book with her presenting a piece of her work to the Governor of Arkansas, the then unknown Bill Clinton.

Susan was in the gallery and spent a great deal of time talking with Mary Kate when MK told her she was interested in becoming an artist. Susan gave Mary Kate a couple of posters and a magazine on conservation. It was very thoughtful of her to spend so much time with MK and to encourage her interest in art.

We had lunch at the Mud Street Cafe. It is downstairs in the basement and since it was a very hot day in Eureka Springs, the coolness of the restaurant was a welcome respite from the heat. The food was very good

We almost decided to stay over night in Eureka Springs, but we knew we needed to get back to our boys. Next year, we will plan to stay over night as there is so much to see in the town.

On the drive up to Branson, we had seen the signs for Checotah, OK, home of Carrie Underwood. On the way home, we exited so Mary Kate could see Checotah. In her song, "I Ain't in Checotah Anymore", Carrie does a great job of describing her hometown. The town is where 69 meets 40 and since we drove the town end to end, it truly is a single stop light town.

We got back on US 69 and headed south. We got home about 9:30 p.m. It was a fun trip and Mary Kate had an absolutely wonderful time at Kamp Kanakuk.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Happy Father's Day

As I prepare to celebrate my 16th Father's Day as a dad and my 19th Father's Day without a dad, I came across this note. I had found this article taped inside one of my dad's bibles when we were going through his belongings shortly after his death in April of 1991. Boy, does that seem like a long time ago?

Here is the article.

BEYOND DEATH
"But we know that we shall see Him" (1 John 3:2)

A sick man turned to his doctor who was leaving the room after paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly the doctor said, "I do not know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side!"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door, on the other side of which came sounds of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor, said, "Did you notice that dog? He had never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door was opened he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing. I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And when the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness."

--Unknown


As I read this note, I realized, the legacy my dad left me was not wealth or possessions, but a solid and everlasting faith in that which is truly important. My prayer is that my legacy to my children is equally as solid and everlasting.

If you still have your dad with you, I hope you can spend some time with him on Sunday. If he's passed from this life, I hope you take time to honor him in some small way by treasuring the legacy he left for you.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - The Final Day

Given the severe storms in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area last night, I wasn't sure I would be able to fly home today.

Slept in this morning. Didn't get up until 9 a.m. Helped Jane get Francie ready and then she and I played Scrabble. She beat me both games.

About 1:00, my nephew, Tony, drove me to the Johnstown airport. At that time, the flight was on schedule to Dulles as was my flight from Dulles to DFW. Our short flight from Johnstown was on time and uneventful. By the time I landed at Dulles, my flight to DFW had already been delayed 30 minutes. We had to wait for the flight in from DFW which had left over an hour late. We finally boarded about an hour late and headed home.

Although the flight was a bit rough early on, the rest of the flight was smooth and we arrived about 8:30, an hour later than the scheduled arrival time.

When I left this afternoon, both Jane and Francie thanked me for taking them to Texas and they said they enjoyed it. That made everything worthwhile.

I think I'll retire from my Elder Escort Service.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ed's Elderly Escort Service - The Final Day

Arrived Portage, PA 6:55 p.m. 24 hours and 47 minutes in the van and 1,480 miles after we left my home in Texas Monday morning. Jane and Francie are now safely back home. All in all, a good trip.

Today, we left Winchester, KY about 8:45 a.m. after eating breakfast in the lobby of the Hampton Inn. We drove through eastern Kentucky and into West Virginia. We stopped in Charleston where I visited with some folks I used to work with at Verizon. I had not seen them for about three years. It was great to see them again.

We stopped in Frametown, WV for lunch. The restaurant was about a mile off the interstate and it was called Granny's Diner. It was right on the Elk River. We ate outside. The meal was wonderful. I had butterscotch meringue pie. My mother used to bake these pies and I probably had not had one in over 30 years. It was delicious.

We continued through West Virginia hitting off and on rain showers. We made one more stop in Morgantown, about 110 miles from Portage and then continued home. When we arrived it was 64 degrees. A far cry from the 90+ degree weather we were having in Texas.

While the trip had some challenges, it was well worth it. I think both Jane and Francie enjoyed the trip and especially the opportunity to get to Texas. After arriving at my in-laws, one of my nephews, a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law stopped by. We went to a local bar in Portage called Chuggy's. It was a lot of fun catching up with them. Although my nephew is now 21, he was on call for his job and could not drink. I gave him $5 to have a drink on me later this weekend. I've known him for 18+ years and it's hard to believe the little red-headed boy I met on my first trip to Portage to meet my future in-laws in now much taller than me and a wonderful young man.

If the flights go as scheduled tomorrow, I will leave Johnstown, PA tomorrow afternoon, connect through Dulles and be home tomorrow night.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - Part 2 - Day 2

Another day on the road. We left the hotel about 8 a.m. this morning and went to a Waffle House for breakfast. It was about 9:15 when we finally got on the road. We took a different route and wandered through parts of northwestern Mississippi. It is actually quite pretty.

We made it to Whitehouse, TN just north of Nashville for lunch. We ate at a Cracker Barrel. It was what you'd expect at a Cracker Barrel. We continued north into Kentucky. We lost an hour when we crossed back into eastern time zone. Since we got a bit of a late start and with the time change, we didn't make it to the Bourbon Trail until the tours had ended for the day. We'll save the distillery tours for another trip.

We continued through most of Kentucky and stopped at a Hampton Inn in Winchester, KY about 20 miles east of Lexington. We ate at the Cantuckee Diner for dinner. I had a fried bologna sandwich. It was truly a great dining experience. You'd expect Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to visit it.

We have 428 miles to Portage. We should be there tomorrow evening. The trip is going well and it is much quicker now that we have the chair for Francie. He doesn't always like using it, but it is a lot easier on him and a lot quicker.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - Part 2

Today we left our home in Texas about 8:45 a.m. We had a nice visit with my mother-in-law and her husband. Our goal was to be in Tunica, MS tonight. I had a free night at Harrah's and the other room was only $40. Since Tunica is only 20 miles south of Memphis, for the cheap hotel rooms, it was worth driving the extra 40 miles.

We made good time throughout the day. We had purchased a transfer wheel chair for Francis. It was much easier and quicker taking him to the rest stops and restaurants in the chair today.

We arrived at Harrah's about 6:15 this evening to find that the hotel and all of the properties had lost commercial power. Harrah's, of course, had full back-up power for the casino, but the hotels were on stand by generators with limited power.

We decided to find someplace to eat. We found a small restaurant called Happy Daze Pizza Cafe. They had much more than pizza on the menu. It had cooled down and Franice wanted to sit outside. The waitress was awesome. She made the meal so enjoyable and everyone got in a better mood after the disappointment at the hotel.

When we returned to the hotel about 8:45, the power was restored. We got into our rooms and I helped Jane get Francie ready for bed. Then, she and I went to the casino for a little while. I turned $20 into $82 and she turned $40 into $38. Not too bad of a night for us.

We will head out in the morning and hope to reach Lexington, Kentucky tomorrow evening.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - Day 4

We arrived home this evening about 5:15. The trip was 1,370 miles from start to finish.

Today went smoothly. We left our hotel in Forrest City, AR about 8:45 this morning. We traveled through Arkansas and then into Texas. We made several stops along the way, but made the trip without major incident.

Tonight when we arrived home, my wife had dinner waiting for us. My sister-in-law, her two sons and daughter-in-law joined us as well. It was a nice reunion and we had a nice time together.

It has been a long day and I am tired, but I am glad that we are here safely and I'm looking forward to a week long visit with them.

I probably won't make anymore posts on this subject until June 8th when I begin the road trip back to Pennsylvania with them.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - Day 3

A successful day. Tonight we are in Forrest City, AR. We made it almost 600 miles today. Only 440 miles to travel tomorrow and we will be home.

After breakfast in the hotel, we left about 8:45 EDT this morning. We stop about every two hours and take a break. It breaks up the driving and gives Jane and Francis a chance to stretch.

We stopped for lunch in Horse Cave, KY at a family restaurant. There was a smoker in front and a typical-looking Kentuckian putting more meat in it when we arrived. He said he had just taken some fresh smoked meat into the restaurant. The smoked pork was delicious as were all of the side items.

We continued through Kentucky and Tennessee. I had hoped to make it as far as Memphis. We were in Memphis about 6 p.m. (we gained an hour with the time change to central time zone in the middle of Kentucky). Everyone was feeling good, so we continued west along I40 to the next town that had a Hampton Inn.

We ate dinner at the Ole Sawmill Cafe. It has a wonderful buffet which I enjoyed and Jane and Francis ordered off of the menu. We returned to the hotel about 8:30 and I brought the bags in and got Jane and Francis settled for the night. I am now in my room checking e-mails and updating my blog.

I think today was a good day. I enjoy driving and we saw some beautiful parts of our great country. I think Jane and Francis enjoyed the relaxing pace we took. Francis sleeps most of the time, but Jane and I have enjoyed visiting. For those of you who think spending 10 hours in a van talking to your mother-in-law would be a horrible experience, you don't know Jane. I am blessed to have such a wonderful person as my mother-in-law. I truly enjoy her company and spending time with her.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be another good day and my post will detail our trip home to Texas.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service - Day 2

Well, last night found me stuck at the Holiday Inn at Dulles Airport. I had been rebooked on the first out this morning to Johnstown, PA. I was to arrive in Johnstown at 9:30 and I was hopeful we'd be on the road by 11 a.m.

Not. At a little after 8, we boarded the flight. The flight attendant completed her safety speech but had not yet closed the door. We heard the engines stop and it got very quiet. The pilot announced that we were on ground control hold due to weather conditions in Johnstown. A few minutes later, he asked us to deplane and return to the terminal. The estimated time of departure was now at 9:15. That time slipped to 9:30, then 9:45 and then 10:00.

I was in contact with my nephew who was going to come to the airport and pick me up. As the estimated departure time got later and later, I asked if he could help Grandma pack the van so she could drive to the Johnstown Airport herself since if he took me back to her house, we would need to return the 20 miles to Johnstown on our way to Texas. I told him I would text him the last thing before I turned off my cellphone on the plane and that he could ask Grandma to wait about 20 minutes and then head to the Johnstown Airport.

A little after 10, we reboarded the plane. As I was boarding the gate agent got a phone call. I overheard him say, "I've already boarded half the flight". He told me, "Don't worry. We're simply going to fly into Altoona first."

Altoona is about 25 miles east of my mother-in-law's home and Johnstown is about 20 miles west of her home. If I was flying into Altoona, she could simply meet me there instead. When I boarded the plane, the flight attendant assured me we were going to Johnstown first. She checked with the captain and with his confirmation, I texted my nephew after the door was closed and told him I was on my way to Johnstown.

The fog in Johnstown didn't lift and although the pilot flew to Johnstown, he could not land and announced we were being diverted to Altoona. When we landed in Altoona about 11:15 a.m., my mother-in-law was, of course, waiting for me at the Johnstown Airport. The airline had a bus waiting and we took the hour-long bus trip from Altoona to Johnstown.

We grabbed a bite to eat at the Johnstown Airport and got on the road about 1:30 p.m. Several hours later than I had hoped. My goal had been to reach Lexington, KY which was about 440 miles. I wasn't sure that goal was any longer attainable, but I was glad to be on the way.

We need to stop about every two hours. Our first stop was in Morgantown, WV - home of West Virginina University. Since none of us had ever seen the campus, we took the exit and drove to the stadium (the best marked signage). It is a nice stadium and the campus is very beautiful. We returned to the freeway with our next stop about 50 miles north of Charleston, WV. It was now 5:30 and I knew we couldn't make it to Lexington. I was hopeful we could make it past Charleston and we did.

Tonight we are in Ashland, KY about 115 miles east of Lexington. We are staying at a Hampton Inn which is very nice and reasonably priced. We had dinner at Bob Evans and are now ready for bed and to start all over again tomorrow morning.

In spite of the bumps, I think the day went well. It was good to see Jane and Francie. I think they are enjoying the trip and I will do my best to make it enjoyable.

I'm hopeful the travel gods smile on us more tomorrow than today. My goal is to make it as far as Memphis, TN.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ed's Elder Escort Service

Today, I left my home in Texas to fly to Pennsylvania to drive my mother-in-law and her husband to Texas to visit our family for a week. My mother-in-law, Jane, is 83 years old. After being widowed for almost 20 years, she remarried 5 years ago. Her new husband had also been widowed for almost 20 years. His name is Francis and he will be 83 next month.

When they married they both enjoyed good health and traveled between his home in northern Virginia, her home in PA and Florida. Three years ago, Francis had a serious medical problem and since, their travel has been more limited. He no longer wants to fly, so I agreed to fly up to PA and drive them to Texas and back and then I will fly home. The trip is 1,350 miles each way. Normally, my family and I make this trip in two days. With my in-laws, we decided to take three days.

Our plan was to leave PA tomorrow morning and arrive in Texas Sunday afternoon/evening. Well, so much for planning. I am posting this blog from an hotel at Dulles Airport. My connecting flight into Johnstown, PA this evening was cancelled. I am scheduled on the first flight tomorrow morning which won't have me there until 9:30 a.m.

We still plan to leave tomorrow, but it will probably be closer to 11 a.m. before we leave Jane's house.

Our kids are looking forward to seeing them and I am hopeful the trip won't be too tiring for them and it will be enjoyable.

I'll post to this blog each evening and let you know how the trip is going and how Ed's Elder Escort service is working. Wish me luck!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

God Sent an Angel Name Shirley

When it finally sunk in that Mother did not want to pursue any additional treatment for her cancer and that we wouldn't have that much longer with her, we knew that Hospice was the right choice for her. We were faced with the decision whether or not we could bring her back to our home (her home for the last 5 years) or if we needed to take her to a nursing home. Mother told me she would like to come home if my wife and I could care for her.

A sister visiting from the northwest was adamantly opposed to me taking Mother home with us. She was convinced I would be incapable of caring for her and that she might be harmed. A sister-in-law called me discouraging me from bringing Mother home. She had lost her own mother many years ago and was with her during her last days. She feared the negative impact having Mother at home with us would have on our three kids. Torn between this input from my family and my desire to satisfy my mother's wishes to come home, I agonized over the decision.

Over the next couple of days, I prayed, talked with my wife, other family members and many friends about the decision. My wife and I were in agreement that we would attempt to honor Mother's wishes and bring Mother home and see if we could care for her.

The day finally came for us to bring her home. I went to the hospital with my sister, who was still opposed to us bringing Mother back home. My wife stayed home to get our kids off to school.

While waiting for the paperwork to be finalized, my cellphone rang. I stepped out of Mother's room to take the call. After I finished the call, I noticed one of the hospital janitors looking at me. I had seen her several times over the past several days and often she would be running the vacuum cleaner when I stepped out of the room to take a phone call. She would always smile at me and turn off the vacuum cleaner until I was finished with my call.

She asked me if I was taking my mom home today. I told her we were with Hospice care. She told me that she had done the same thing for her mother-in-law about 5 years earlier. As we talked, I learned her name was Shirley.

Shirley had a very interesting story to tell. In many ways, it mirrored my own experiences. She and her husband had taken her mother-in-law into their home. She had lived with them for about 5 years when her mother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They too had chosen to bring her back home and care for her with the help of Hospice.

Like us, they too had 3 children at home at the time. She told how she had stayed home to care for her mother-in-law and that it had been a wonderful experience. They had put a hospital bed in the living room for her mother-in-law. She told a story of how they had planned a big birthday celebration for her and that everyone in the trailer court came to wish her well. I thought, wow, this woman lived in a mobile home, took in her mother-in-law and felt blessed to have the opportunity to care for her. Given all of the material blessings God had given us including a nice house with an extra room for Mother, I knew bringing her home was the right thing to do.

After my wife got our kids to school, she came to the hospital. Not finding me in Mother's room, she started walking the halls looking for me. She found me hugging the janitor. I introduced her to Shirley and briefly shared Shirley's story with her.

Both my wife and I no longer had any doubts that we were doing the right thing by bringing Mother back home with us. It was if God sent an angel named Shirley to assure us we had made the right decision.

Postscript February 20, 2016 
While shopping at our local Walmart, I noticed a cleaning lady coming out of the restrooms. As I walked past her, I smiled and nodded at her. She returned my smile and I noticed she was wearing a name tag that said, “Shirley”. I stopped and asked her if she had worked at Baylor Hospital. When she told me she had, I knew it was the same person.

I shared my story with her of the first time we met and how much she had meant to me. She told me that when she had started working at Baylor she had prayed that God would make her a blessing to people. I told her that her prayers had been answered and that I considered her an answer to my prayers.

How blessed I am to have been able to meet her and thank her in person for the wonderful blessing she had been to me over eight years ago. Just as God put her in my path 8 years ago, I’m convinced he again allowed us to meet to help me remember the many acts of kindness I have received and to focus me on committing those same acts for others.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Hospice Done Well is a Beautiful Experience

The title of this post is a quote from a good friend. When my mom was first diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, there were many emotional decisions to be made. I called my friend who used to work for a large national hospice provider. Without hesitation, he recommended we choose hospice and told me that it could be a beautiful experience.

My mom, aged 87, did not want to pursue treatment for her cancer and was very much at peace with the decision to have hospice care. She told me she wanted to come back to our home (her home for the past 5 years) if my wife and I could take care of her. We brought her back home with us on January 5, 2008

With the support of a wonderful hospice company, Alpha Omega Hospice, we were able to keep Mother at home with us where she passed peacefully on April 5th. I can truly say, as strange as it may sound, "It was a beautiful experience."

Over the next several weeks, I hope to make posts about my personal experiences during those 3 months. I hope they will be helpful for others facing similar situations or who have lived through them. I know they will be cathartic for me.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

My Second Mother's Day as an Orphan

As Mother's Day approaches next Sunday, I'm somewhat apprehensive about how I'll feel. Last year, Mother's Day was less than a month after Mother's funeral and I don't think I truly felt the impact. Now that I've been orphaned for over a year, there are times when it seems like she's been gone forever and other times, when I feel she's still with me.

Last night I was with my daughter at the Hallmark store helping her pick out a card for my wife. I looked at the "from son" section knowing that I would never be able to shop there again. It was somewhat sad, but nothing like last year when I had stopped at the same Hallmark store to pick up a card for my wife. I remember standing in line to buy the card and noticed the man standing in front of me who was about my age. I saw he had a card that read, "To Mom, with love from your son." When I saw that card, I felt like a knife had pierced my heart. I guess, time does heal all things.

I will try to make Sunday a celebration for the mother of my 3 kids. She is truly a wonderful wife and a great mother to our kids. I know she'll understand if there's a bit of sadness in my eyes, but I'll do my best to make sure my sadness doesn't dampen the celebration of the day for our kids.

For those of you who like me no longer have a mother to celebrate with, I hope your memories of the woman who gave you life are still cause to celebrate. If you still have a mother, make sure you take the time to let her know how much you love her and how special she is.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Grandma in the Home - A Lifechanging Experience

From April 1, 2003 through April 5, 2009, my mother lived with us in our home. Our family became the quintessential sandwich generation family. When Mother moved in with us, our children were 10, 8 and 5. Now that it's been over a year since she passed away at age 88, I have had the opportunity to reflect on what her presence in our home really meant to me and my family.

While there were certainly trying times with having another person in our home, the positive impact on my life, my wife's life and the lives of our children far outweighs any of the difficulties we experienced.

I would like to trade stories with others who either cared for an elderly parent in their home, are still providing care in their homes or are considering moving an elderly parent into their home.