Welcome to Bonnie's Journal

This site was designed to provide a place to document a journey.  The journey is familiar to perhaps millions of people who fit the so called "sandwich generation" category.  The "sandwich generation" is usually used to denote adults who are parents or caregivers for late teen or young adult children and also become responsible for aging parents...therefore the sandwich analogy!  It is definitely a squeeze!

The time involved in assistance and the stress level alone all add up to the feeling of being in a sandwich!

While the journey is familiar to others, to me, it is very new and painful...

My parents live in the local area and I am the oldest child.  I am also a therapist and have the educational and exeriencial tools to help my parents.  May father is 88 and has always been the rock of our family.  His mental capabilities are failing and my mother is struggling to learn how to do things as simple as pumping gas for the family car.  (my dad always id it for them)

I am struggling with my own denial.

What does this mean?

What should I do or not do?

Will they be OK if I don't do anything?

What is my role not?

I am filled with conflict and recognize that what is really different about this situations and therapy is that I cannot be objective because it is happening to me!