"You Want Me to do What? Journaling for Caregivers" by B. Lynn Goodwin

The parent-child relationship is, by definition, totally lopsided, with parents doing most of the giving (and forgiving) and kids doing most of the getting (and forgetting). Which is exactly how it’s supposed to be. We are wired to give to our children our all. And our kids are wired to take whatever they need.

But what happens when our own parents need parenting?

My dad died of a sudden massive heart attack when I was 15. At the time, I was away at summer camp. There wasn’t a damn thing I could have done. But to this day, I still wish I’d been there for him.

Decades later, my mom offered me plenty of opportunity to help while she slowly died of ALS, (Lou Gehrig’s disease)… and I was there for her.

Switching roles and becoming my mom’s caregiver, provided some of the most loving, grace-filled times of my life. Those ten months, between her diagnosis and her death, were also the most emotionally draining, anxiety-ridden days I’ve ever known. And I am grateful for every minute. That experience transformed our relationship and me along with it. Both for good.

If you’re lucky enough to still have parents, may you have many more joyful years together. But medical miracles notwithstanding, at some point, it’s likely they will need you in ways you can not imagine.

In this week’s podcast* I talk with Lynn Goodwin, teacher, editor, former caregiver and author of “You Want Me to do What? Journaling for Caregivers”. We talk from the heart about  processing the stress of caring for aging parents and celebrating what’s right.

Have a listen here:

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If you have iTunes, you can subscribe to this podcast in the iTunes Store.

Or, you can download an MP3 version here.

Upcoming guest authors include:

• Carol Normandi and Lauralee Roark – Over it: A Teen’s Guide To Getting Beyond Obsessions with Food and Weight
• Robert Rummel-Hudson – Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey With His Wordless Daughter
• Wednesday Martin – Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do
• Ayelet Waldman – Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace

Subscribe to Family Confidential and tune in each time!

Special thanks to our friend and musician/composer Curt Siffert who let us use his song, “Ignorant Meadow” for the opening of this podcast.

*What’s a podcast? “A podcast is a series of digital media files, usually either digital audio or video, that is made available for download via web syndication.” — Wikipedia… So, in this case, there’s an audio file for you to listen to (in addition to reading the above).